Apprentice and Heir
by Lightningscar
Summary: Sequel to "Trust: Friend or Foe?" Two years has passed since "Trust: Friend or Foe?" and Akatsuki is back, more ruthless and stronger than ever. But they and Orochimaru are not the only enemies out there. Powerful OC and DarkPowerful Kakashi. Discontinued
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto.

Chapter 1: A Very Bad Day.

_BOUOM! BOUOM!FUUUOOOM! FUUOOM!BOFUFOFUOM!BOOUUFFOOUUMMMMM!_

"_KAKASHI-SENSEI! NOOOOOO!" _

Naruto woke with a jolt, eyes flying open. It took him a minute or two to clear his head. Glancing around, he saw that he was in his double bed. Rubbing his brow, he found it to be covered in sweat. Looking out of his window, he saw the sun rise, its light being barely reflected in the snow.

He sighed. Christmas was slowly coming and he had to buy presents. Not that he minded or needed money or anything. Hell, he was one of the wealthiest people in the Leaf Village along with his two teammates and Anko with her kids, but he wasn't fond of Christmas. Brought back bad memories from his childhood. He got out of bed and headed for the shower. When he was done, he looked into the mirror and stepped backwards when he saw his own reflection in the mirror. Staring back at him was a boy with one cerulean eye and one red with three black commas in it. The Sharingan. The Sharingan he got when Kakashi Hatake died. He sighed as he closed his left eye and rubbed it slightly.

"I thought I had gotten used to it by now. But it seems I was wrong. I wonder who and how Kakashi-sensei's teammates were. Oh well, better get going. But not before I got my clothes on."

He entered his bedroom and got his clothes on. However, as his eye roamed the room to find his headband he found something that shouldn't be there. A bra. As he looked around once more, he found more underwear for girls and a dress. Gulping, he looked at the person sleeping peacefully sleeping in his bed. Unruly black hair lay spread across the pillow while the rest of her body was covered his warm duvet. Finding and picking up his headband, he exited the room with only one thought in head.

'Oh shit. I'm so dead.'

He walked through the estate's sitting room. Comfy looking couches and armchairs were turned towards the big fireplace while several big and small tables stood placed around to put a drink on or what else you would place there. There also was a television, a bookcase, and other stuff like that. In the entry, he glanced into the mirror there. Nothing much had changed. His hair was still unruly and spiky, although a bit longer. He had also grown about 7 centimetres like the rest of the Leaf 12. He hadn't, much to Sasuke's chagrin, discarded his outfit from when he was sixteen. The only difference was the size. Slipping into his ninja sandals, he walked outside and closed the door. As he walked down the road, he cursed softly as the snow continued to fall.

"Man, this is just great. Why are ninjas not allowed to wear other footwear than sandals? I really need to talk to Granny Tsunade about this, believe it."

After 15 minutes of walking, he stopped. He stood in front of the Memorial Stone. Sighing heavily, he found the name he was looking for. He mumbled slowly under his breath.

"Hello Kakashi-sensei. It has been a while. The next book in the Make-Out series will be released next week. I think its name is Make-Out Presents. Pervy Sage, or Pervy Hermit as you used to call him, says it will be his greatest masterpiece yet. I really wish you could be here with us. Christmas is approaching and the other teams are going to celebrate it with their old senseis. Heh, you would laugh your ass off if you knew who Gai-sensei has picked to be his rival now that you are gone: Yamato. The rest of us are pretty much the same as the last time you saw us. Well, except for Lee. He too has found a rival. But unlike Yamato, the rival isn't hiding. Not that he can hide, considering he is Kazekage. That's right, Gaara is Lee's rival. And how strange it may sound, Gaara actually enjoys it. But when I think about it, it's probably because every time Lee loses he has to build something in the Sand Village. Thanks to their rivalry, the Sand Village now has an indoor swimming bath and other things. If I remember correctly, the score is 20-10 in Gaara's favour. And…"

He was cut off by a quiet voice from behind. "Talking to Kakashi-san again, Naruto?"

Naruto turned around and saw a couple of white eyes looking back at him. He smiled. "Good morning, Neji. What brings you here?"

Stepping out, Neji came into view. He too wore clothes like he did when he was seventeen, but he had grown taller too. Eyeing the stone behind Naruto, he walked up to Naruto before talking.

"It has been two years since Kakashi-san died. Naruto, you need to move on."

Naruto sighed. He had already heard this from several others. "I know, Neji. It's just… every bloody day when I look into the mirror, I'm reminded of him. This eye… it just doesn't belong to me. Every day, when I see that eye… it makes me wonder what Kakashi-sensei would think of me and my achievements. Would he be happy, disappointed or something else?"

Neji thought for a moment. Then he smiled, albeit it was slightly. "I think he would be proud. After all, you will be promoted to jounin tomorrow. About time too. I can't believe that you, Sasuke and Sakura will be the first team of our generation were all of the members are jounin. Think about, I'm the jounin on my team alongside Gai, while Shikamaru and Shino are jounins on theirs."

Naruto smiled a bit too. Until Neji mentioned Shikamaru. Noticing this, Neji got curious.

"Hey, Naruto. I think you got here for other reasons than just mourning. What is it? Something to do with a girl? Or a guy?"

At this Naruto sputtered. Calming himself down, and casting nervous glances around, he whispered his reply.

"Both actually. I was trying to come up with a good explanation. One that will convince Shikamaru not to kill me when he learns that I slept with his little sister, Shikala. I mean, she is only 15, right? And we both know how Shikamaru can be when it comes to his sister."

Neji laughed before snorting. "You really understand how to pick the wrong chicks Naruto. I haven't forgotten how you hit on Tenten a month ago. And before her it was Kurenai-san."

Naruto blushed until his face had the same colour as a tomato. "Hey! I was drunk, okay! I would never hit on any of them if I was sober. You and Asuma-sensei would beat me to a bloody pulp if I did! Besides, my choices are better than Kiba's! He hit on Gaara's student for crying out loud."

Neji merely smirked. "True. How he managed to outrun the Kazekage in the dessert is beyond me. But then again, Shikamaru did it too. I guess Kiba either got some pointers or took the exact same route. Or perhaps the Kazekage merely didn't really bother hunting him."

When Neji mentioned Shikamaru running through the dessert, Naruto smirked. Especially when remembering why Shikamaru had to run. Gaara had been on a diplomatic journey to the Land of Water. Things had went better than they thought it would, as the Mizukage had considered an alliance consisting of Mist, Sand and Leaf, so he returned a day earlier than expected. As he had entered his office after a long and stressing journey, he was met by the sight of his sister and Shikamaru being more than intimate on his desk. The windows were open, so all of the paper had been scattered across the village. Of course the two jounins had been really embarrassed, but Gaara couldn't care less. He was thrilled that he hadn't had to do paperwork. However, his happiness was short-lived when his brother burst into the room, shouting at Temari and Shikamaru that if they didn't wished to be caught, they should stop discarding their underwear in Gaara's bedroom, private sauna and they should get Gaara's favourite armchair fixed because it was broken during their fun. Kankurou hadn't noticed Gaara until then. And although Gaara was happy for not having to do paperwork, it simply didn't make up for the fact that his favourite chair had been destroyed. So Gaara gave Shikamaru a five minutes head start before giving pursuit. Gaara had hunted Shikamaru to the borders. Naruto smirked.

"Perhaps I could always threaten him with telling Gaara when his next visit will be. But tell me Neji, why are you here?"

Neji smiled a little before answering. "Your idea might work. In any case, I came to fetch you and Sasuke. You two have gate duty today. Both Izumo and Kotetsu are down with a cold. Anyways, do you know where Sasuke might be? He isn't at the estate."

Naruto thought for a moment. They had been at a party last night. He shook his head after a minute. "Sorry Neji, can't help you. But now that you mention it, he wasn't the only one who didn't return home last night. Sakura-chan didn't return home either."

Neji frowned a little before he burst out laughing. "I think I can help you with that."

Naruto just shut him a puzzled look. "So? How is that? No… don't tell me."

Neji smiled. "Yep. Both Sakura and Lady Hinata are in the hospital. If I remember correctly, it happened last night. Apparently, Ino caught them peeping at you in the hot springs and decided to tell on them once you got out. This lead to some heck of a fight between Lady Hinata and Sakura. It took Lady Tsunade, Kiba and Kurenai-san combined to break them apart."

Naruto groaned. "Not again. How can Team 7 go on missions with our squad leader in the hospital? Sai is now an ANBU lieutenant and Yamato is still hiding after he got Shizune pregnant. Man, this sucks. And to think that I'm stuck with Sasuke on gate duty. What a shitty day."

Neji merely chuckled. Then he grew serious. A bit. "You know… you could help a lot of people if you would choose between them already. I have a feeling that you are only on gate duty because the Hokage is angry with you for not having chosen by now."

Naruto chuckled as they began walking away. "That or because I stole her saké two days ago. But…"

He grew very serious.

"Choosing between the two of them are not exactly easy. Besides, we have other things to worry about. I mean, Akatsuki is on the move again. And I must say that they are more ruthless than before. And more efficient."

Neji frowned before sighing deeply. "Indeed. The Hidden Cloud Village is still recovering from Akatsuki's attack. And that was two weeks ago. To make things worse, they got the Raikage's brother and a clan was wiped out. It still hard to believe that there were Uchihas in the Cloud Village. It doesn't make it any better than half of the Volt clan was killed too. And to top it all, we had ambassadors in the Cloud Village that left right before the attack, making the Raikage think we were in league with Akatsuki during the attack. After all, we had ANBU members escort the ambassadors and Leaf headbands were found after the attack. Naruto, even you should know were this is headed: We might soon be at war with Cloud."

Naruto sighed. "Yeah, I know. I suppose we just have to wait and see after the Kage Summit."

Neji nodded. Then he let out a snort. "Seriously, you should stop reading those books. You might get your ass kicked someday."

Naruto merely smiled and shrugged as he held up a yellow book with the title: Make-Out Spring. That's right, Naruto had, much to Hinata's and Sakura's chagrin and dismay, grown very addicted to Jiraiya's books. Naruto smirked.

"Aww, come on Neji. I know you want it. Besides, you might get some tips. But then again, with your Gentle Fist I suppose you can…"

Not wanting to hear what Naruto might say, Neji sped off. Naruto laughed. Teasing Neji was always fun. Reading his book, he made it to the main gate as it was being opened. Sighing heavily, he sat down and continued reading. Although much of the time he thought about whether he should choose Sakura or Hinata. One he had loved since his Academy days and was now returning his feelings, while the other had loved him without him realizing it until two years ago, where he realized that he loved her too. Whoever he chose, one of them would be hurt emotionally.

"Dope."

Naruto was brought out of his thoughts by the voice of his friend. Looking up from his book, he shot Sasuke a glare. "And good morning to you too, bastard. Where were you last night?"

Sasuke chuckled as he sat down beside his friend. "None of your business Blondie."

Naruto glared sideways. Sasuke was probably the one who had changed the most since they were sixteen. His face and hair was more like when they were genins together. And he too had grown 7 centimetres. What had changed the most were his clothes. He now wore a normal chuunin/jounin uniform. He could have been mistaken for any other chuunin or jounin if it wasn't for the Uchiha clan symbol on his clothes and the katana Kakashi made for him strapped onto his back. Of course, the crest was hidden by his green vest.

"Is it a girl?"

Sasuke smiled. "Yeah. Her name is Katie."

Naruto merely nodded and turned his attention back to his book.

The entire day went quietly. Ninjas returned from their missions while others left. Aside from the ninjas, there were also the potential clients. It was about 8.30 p.m. and it was already dark. The sky was clouded and a thick mist hung outside the village. Naruto yawned loudly, pocketing his book.

"Man, what a boring day."

Sasuke nodded. "Yeah. I think we can close the gates now and go… hm? What is that?"

Naruto listened closely. Then he realized what it was. "It's footsteps."

Naruto had barely spoken the words before the person the footsteps belonged to came into sight. The person was clad in a dark shirt with a hood concealing his face and a couple of black pants. He was barefooted and staggered. Or rather tried staggering as he didn't seem to be able to stand on his legs. Coagulated blood could be seen on his legs and arms, while fresh blood seemed to ooze from his back and chest. The stranger seemed to be trying to stop the bleeding from his chest.

Naruto looked questioning at Sasuke before looking at the stranger with a worried look. His concern was evident in his voice.

"Hey… are you okay mate?"

The words barely left his mouth before the stranger collapsed, face first, his blood almost instantly dyeing the snow with an eerie crimson colour. Nodding to each other, the two friends quickly went over to the stranger who had walked about 5 metres into the village. Sasuke checked for vital signs while Naruto prepared for combat, just in case the newcomer would jump up and attack them. Sasuke frowned.

"He is still alive, but barely. His pulse is very low and he is extremely cold. He shows signs of frostbite and dehydration. Needless to say, he can't fight in this condition. Naruto, give me a hand. We need to turn him around so he can breathe and get him to the hospital. Create some shadow clones to close the gate and tell the hospital we are coming."

Naruto nodded and produced five shadow clones, giving them the instructions. Preparing for taking the man to the hospital, they turned him around and took a firm grip around his feet and under the arms. However, when they saw his face, he never left the ground. Both hissed with voices filled with disbelief before they changed into a mix of anger, contempt, hatred and murderous intent.

"Itachi… Uchiha."

End chapter 1.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Surprising Bad News.

Naruto and Sasuke stared at the lifeless form of Itachi Uchiha. This was the man who made them both suffer. Not wanting to let such a chance for killing an Akatsuki member slip past his nose, Naruto readied a Rasengan.

Sasuke's eyes glowered with hate and triumph. Like Naruto, he wouldn't let this chance for revenge get past him, even though he once said that he now wanted him dead for other reasons, the thirst for revenge hadn't died completely. He would never get a chance like this again. He drew his katana and its blade was instantly surrounded with lightning and flames. The torches that hang on the wall and by the little shack by the gates, the lights from some the nearby houses and the light from their attacks made the shadows grow long. They both attack for Itachi's heart. But when the tip of Sasuke's sword and Naruto's Rasengan were one inch from Itachi, they stopped.

"What the…"

"I can't move… What's going on?"

"Geez, you two are so troublesome. It's a drag, but I was ordered to go tell you that you can go home. In any case, my Shadow Possession jutsu was a success, even if it was in the nick of time. Who's it anyway?"

As Shikamaru approached, wearing the same outfit as he did when he was a chuunin, both Naruto and Sasuke felt their blood boil at the sight of the jounin. They couldn't believe that the shadow user would prevent them from killing the S-class felon. Naruto let his thoughts be heard when he growled.

"This is Itachi Uchiha. A member of Akatsuki who hunt Jinchuurikies and leave devastation in their wake. That's enough reason to kill him on the spot. Now… back off."

Shikamaru frowned, lost in thought. Why was Itachi here? Why was he in this condition? He knew about the alliance between Kakashi and Itachi, and he knew that Itachi was working against Akatsuki in secret. But he couldn't tell Naruto and Sasuke about this. Sakura, Neji and himself had, even without Kakashi around, never said anything about the two Sharingan users being in league with each other. But he needed to keep Sasuke and Naruto from killing Itachi. For the moment anyway. He somehow needed to get into contact with Sakura and Neji and tell them the situation. Of course he would have to alert the Hokage too. All of this went through his head in matter of seconds. Then he got an idea. He smiled.

"Naruto… which hand is it that you use to summon Pakkun and the rest of the pack?"

Completely thrown off guard, Naruto answered without thinking.

"Left. Why? Oh no. No, no, no. They are going to kill me!"

Shikamaru smirked. "Yep."

Shikamaru bit his left thumb till it bled a little and made the seals for a Summoning jutsu, before thrusting his left palm into the ground. Naruto and Sasuke, still under the Shadow Possession jutsu, were forced to mimic his movement. In Sasuke's case nothing happened, but when Naruto's palm hit the ground, a cloud smoke erupted. Once the cloud disappeared, a small brown pug, a huge grey bulldog, a greyhound and a dog with sunglasses could be seen. None of them looked happy.

Pakkun voiced their thoughts

"Oi, Naruto. I know that we are cute and good company and such… but we were enjoying our nap. So why did you summon us? I swear, Kakashi has rubbed too much off on you."

Naruto grumbled. "It wasn't my idea, I can assure of that. I was forced to… by the lazy arse over there. Once I get free, I'm going to beat him to a bloody pulp."

Shikamaru smiled. "I don't doubt you will. There is just one little thing though. You need to catch me first. And perhaps you don't know this, but running from Gaara in the desert on regular basis give a lot of exercise. In any case… Pakkun, Bull, Coolio and Runner. I need your help. One of our once allied needs to get to the hospital so we can interrogate him later. I need you to inform Sakura, Neji and the Hokage. Bull, I'm sorry, but I need you to act as a horse or pack ass."

The dogs growled a bit, but once Shikamaru raised a finger and pointed at Itachi, they all frowned before nodded their understanding. Pakkun set out to find Tsunade, Coolio to find Sakura and Runner to fetch Neji. Once they were out of sight, Shikamaru lifted, with forced assistance from Naruto and Sasuke, Itachi up and placed him across the huge bulldog's back. Bull nodded and took off at full speed, but not so fast that he would drop his cargo. Once he was out of sight too, Shikamaru released two seething Leaf ninja. Naruto growled.

"What the Hell Shikamaru? You want to heal Itachi Uchiha? Are you out of your mind? Once he recovers, he will kill everybody within his range. And…!"

Shikamaru rubbed his temples in annoyance before cutting Naruto off. "Would you shut up for a moment, you troublesome idiot. I swear, you are even worse than my mother. If you two blockheads had killed Itachi, we would lose valuable information pertaining to Akatsuki. And please, don't you think the ANBU and Ibiki have ways to keep strong criminals like Itachi in check while questioning them? They have chakra suppressing chains that keep chakra levels at a minimum. Besides, I think the time has come to tell you something. But I won't do it here. Let's go."

Naruto and Sasuke exchanged glances before following Shikamaru, grumbling something along the lines of: This better have a very good explanation.

Unfortunately, Shikamaru heard it and glanced over his shoulder.

"It has, how troublesome it might be to drill it into those skulls of yours. And by the way Naruto: You better give me a very good explanation to why my sister can't stop talking about Naru-kun. And an even better one to my mom and dad."

Naruto gulped. 'Damn. I hadn't thought about the parents.'

Tsunade was, to say the least, in a foul mood. Yesterday she had to split her apprentice and the Hyuuga heiress and fix their broken bones. To make it worse, Shizune was now so far into her pregnancy that she couldn't work as her secretary, meaning that Shizune couldn't bring her saké and the papers that needed to be signed. She swore inside her head.

'Next time I see that walking wood doll, I will strangle… no, burn him. This week just keeps getting better and better. I had to heal both Sakura and Hinata yesterday. Yes, they were both allowed to go by noon, but I think it's just a matter of time before it gets out of hand. And now I just had to heal Itachi Uchiha, an S-rank felon, member of Akatsuki and murderer of the Uchiha clan. But from what Pakkun told me, Shikamaru, Neji and Sakura have something important to tell. And there is also the crisis with Cloud.' "Shikamaru! You better give a damn good explanation right now."

Shikamaru winced at the volume of her voice. 'Just great. I got scolded by mom for not keeping an eye on Shikala and being late, and now I'm being scolded by the Hokage. Man, what a drag.'

"Don't worry. I will. As soon as Neji and Sakura gets here. Where is Pakkun?"

Tsunade glared daggers at the jounin. "Fine. Pakkun is inside with Itachi Uchiha. He says that he will be here with the others when you give an explanation to all of this."

Shikamaru just nodded. And as if they came on cue, both Sakura and Neji came hurrying down the corridor, Coolio and Runner right behind them. Sakura was the first one to speak.

"Where is he, Shikamaru? Is he alright?"

Naruto was, to say the least, dumbfounded. "Huh? Sakura-chan, what do you mean by alright?"

Sasuke just kept quiet, but he was curious. But before he could speak, Tsunade spoke. "Explain. Now."

Shikamaru sighed and motioned for them to follow him into the ward. Casting a quick glance at Itachi, he saw that a thick duvet was wrapped tightly around him while chakra dampening notes were placed on his face and over his eyes, and different equipment were set up to monitor Itachi's condition and applying him with water, food and other vitamins he needed. Letting out a sigh, Shikamaru began explaining everything that he knew of. Itachi seeking help from Kakashi to rescue Sasuke two years ago, how Itachi and Kakashi had been allies since Sasuke defected from the Leaf, how they had kept their alliance a secret, how Itachi leaked information to Kakashi who spread them as rumours among Jiraiya's contacts, how they supposedly should have killed Madara Uchiha together. During his tale, Naruto interrupted several times, asking if the dogs knew of this. All four of them nodded. When Shikamaru explained why they had kept it secret even after Kakashi's death, Naruto couldn't take it any more.

His voice trembled. "It… it can't be. Kakashi-sensei… Itachi Uchiha… working together? Why didn't he tell me about it?"

Sakura placed a placating hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Because he wanted to protect us. He knew that if this ever was to get out, we would be in danger. So would Itachi and himself. I'm sorry we have kept this secret from you, but we decided it was for the best." She turned to the dogs. "You may leave now. We will handle this."

The dogs nodded and disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Sasuke turned his head towards his brother and back again. He had kept silent during Shikamaru's explanation. He turned and faced the Hokage.

"Now… what should we do? Interrogate him when he wakes up?"

Tsunade rubbed her temples. She herself still had a hard time believing that one of her finest sninobi had such an alliance with an declared enemy, who then turned out not be so much of an enemy after all, a secret for so long. Although she understood why and how, it was still unbelievable that neither Jiraiya nor she ever had caught on to it, not even the slightest. She answered as she felt a growing headache.

"I guess so. But we don't know for how long he will be out. He is severely dehydrated, showed signs of frostbite. Furthermore, he was almost depleted for chakra. But he will survive. For now anyways. But what put him in such a bad state, is beyond me."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah. But now we can get information on all of Akatsuki's members."

"No… I'm afraid… not… Naruto-kun."

All of the wards occupants whirled around and stared at the form of the bed. Itachi was trying to sit up, removing the note covering his eyes with his left hand. Naruto frowned slightly. Itachi looked older than before. He didn't seem to have been eating or slept in days. Sakura hurried over and put some pillows behind Itachi so that he could sit. Itachi spoke when she was done, although his voice was barely above a whisper and sounded very dry. But then again, he was as Tsunade said, severely dehydrated.

"Thank you… Sakura-san. Before we proceed… could I…. please… get some… water?"

Sakura nodded and filled a glass with cold water from the faucet. She helped him so that he could take a couple of sips before standing a little back to give him some room. She stood on his right side. Tsunade nodded her approval before turning to her attention to Itachi.

"Speak."

Itachi just nodded. "I can't provide you… with information on the new… Akatsuki members. I've never met them. It appears… the leader started suspecting… me… cough… cough… two years ago. And… cough… I haven't been a member… of Akatsuki… cough… since the attack on the Hidden Cloud Village… two weeks ago. I've been on the run… ever since."

Naruto narrowed his eye. He didn't believe Itachi one bit. "Prove it."

Itachi sighed, and with great effort, raised his right hand. Shocked gasps could be heard. Something, or rather someone had seethed and torn off the skin on his ring finger so that you could see the bone. And there was no ring. Sakura went to work immediately, capturing his hand before it fell and began healing it. Letting out a grateful groan, Itachi continued.

"After the attack, the leader seemed to think it was time to get rid of me. When we delivered the Jinchuuriki for the Two- and Eight-Tails to Zetsu, the leader came too. I barely managed to escape; but I lost my finger and thus the ring in the battle. It was Devalan who did it. Got me from behind with his teleportation. I used every of my Mangekyou jutsus to get out of there, but the leader countered them all… with my own Mangekyou jutsus. That's right… he has the ability to copy every jutsus thrown his way… even Bloodline Limits. Also, he wields the Rinnegan. During the fight, the Jinchuuriki of the Eight-Tailed managed to get away. But the leader took the Two-Tails Jinchuuriki. I was so low on chakra that I only got a good head start because the others had to extract the Two-Tails. But they soon caught up with me. Outrunning Devalan, Deidara, Zetsu and Kisame is no easy task. To make things worse, or better depending on how you look at it, I ran into Orochimaru. Lady Tsunade… he now has the Sharingan."

Itachi motioned for the glass of water. This time it was Shikamaru who helped him, as Sakura was still busy with healing the finger. Itachi emptied the glass and Shikamaru refilled it. Itachi smiled his gratitude and spoke again.

"As I said, I ran into Orochimaru and one of his lackeys when I was low on chakra. That was three days ago… I think. In any case, I was so low on chakra that I couldn't use my Mangekyou. Now that he has the Sharingan, Orochimaru is even more dangerous. That is why I think my pursuers engaged them in combat instead of me; they seemed to think that I was less of a threat than them. I haven't seen any of them since then. The last thing I remember is walking through the main gate. And now… I'm here. But I intend to leave as soon as possible."

Tsunade processed what Itachi had told them. Things didn't look good. Then she took a deep breath.

"I'm afraid you can't leave. You will be put before a court and judged accordingly to your crimes."

Itachi merely glared at her. "And what should keep me here? Even if you put me into jail during the legal proceedings, my Mangekyou will destroy the prison. And…"

Tsunade cut him off with a glare and a snort. "Probably. But before you use your Mangekyou I think I should warn you: Use one of those jutsus again, just us one of them once, and you will go blind. Yes: I know about the side effects of using the Mangekyou Sharingan. Kakashi told me. Besides, there is more: You're ill. Very ill. Even though I only healed the most critical injuries, I discovered something far worse. Itachi: You got cancer. Cancer in your chakra network. If that wasn't bad enough, you shows sing of leukaemia in progress. And the cancer in your chakra system is now so progressed that it's a wonder you still live."

At this Itachi smiled sadly. "Wonder… or the medicine you supplied me with." At Tsunade baffled expression, Itachi chuckled slightly. "Or rather: What Kakashi supplied me with from your personal store. Something he won was it?"

Tsunade flushed at the memory. So that was what that brat to Kakashi wanted with her medicine. Should have known it wasn't for himself. Seeing the curious expression on her subordinates faces, she scowled and let out a growl.

"None of your business."

She turned her gaze at Itachi and saw him flinch, although slightly. "Before I leave you, I want to know some things: How many of the Jinchuurikies have Akatsuki captured by now? How do the Akatsuki work now?"

Itachi sighed and glanced at Naruto. "Without the Jinchuuriki of the Eight-Tails… seven. How they work: More efficient than before, as I'm sure you have noticed. They work in two coordinated groups when capturing. One to attack the city and capture the host while the other group attacks the village's allies. This is done in order to create such a chaos that the allies won't be able to send backup if the host's village should request for aid in the retrieval. This tactic was developed by the leader to ensure we didn't get a repetition of what happened when we had captured Naruto-kun two years ago. The only reason why the Villages of Leaf and Sand hasn't be targeted yet is because of the Kazekage: They acknowledge his power and Deidara haven't forgotten how things went during their last encounter. Believe me when I say, Deidara don't want to repeat that. And fighting the Kazekage on his turf would be close to suicide."

Tsunade just nodded her understanding slightly. She turned around and began moving towards the door. When she reached it, she stopped.

"Thanks for your cooperation. For now, get some sleep. You need it."

With that she left. Itachi glanced to his right, just in time to see Sakura finishing healing his finger. He looked at his now healed finger before looking at Sakura.

"Thank you."

Sakura just smiled as she walked back to her friends. Naruto and Sasuke made room for her between them. Once in place, she smiled again. "You're welcome."

She looked at Neji and Shikamaru and gave a small smile.

"Neji and Shikamaru: You should get some sleep. I will take the first watch."

They nodded. Neji spoke. "We will be just down the corridor. Call if you need anything."

She just nodded. As they left the room, Itachi let out a small sigh. "I would love to chat with you for a little longer, but I'm so tired."

Sakura just nodded. "Go ahead and sleep."

The words barely left her mouth before Itachi closed his eyes and fall asleep. Soon a light snore could be heard. Team 7 raised their eyebrows at the sight before Sasuke went to get them some chairs. They all sat down near the bed, watching the sleeping Uchiha.

Outside the hospital, two figures were sitting in a nearby tree and hidden in the dark. They both wore black cloaks or large jackets with hoods that were pulled up, obscuring their faces and shielding them from the cold wind. Not that they needed the hood to hide their faces as they wore faceless porcelain masks. One of them looked through the windows with binoculars and settled on the window where four persons could be seen. Two of them were young men, one with blond hair while the other had black. The third was a young woman with pink hair. The last person was slightly older than the others with long black hair and seemed to be soundly asleep on the bed.

The one with the field glasses put them away and spoke with a feminine voice.

"Found him. There are three persons with him."

The other responded, the voice belonging to a male. "I see. Well, anything is better than this cold. Let's go and have a little chat with him. It has been some time after all."

The woman replied and nodded. "Yes. Yes it has." She was silent as they both made hand seals. She looked at her partner who nodded. "Let's go."

With that they jumped towards the window they wanted to enter through, their jump enhanced with chakra to make it in one go.

End chapter two.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Visitors from the Past.

Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura looked at Itachi sleeping peacefully when a red and orange glow outside the window caught their attention. Sasuke stood up and narrowed his eyes. Then his eyes widened in realization

"Shit! Naruto, Sakura: Get down!"

That was the only warning they got before several small fireballs destroyed the window and a single one hit the wall behind the three teens, without damaging anything. Sasuke activated his Sharingan as he stood up. Just in time too, because as soon as he got up, he saw two figures coming their way, and noticed one of them make a little flick with each wrist. Sasuke cursed a little as he blocked the barrage of shuriken with a kunai. He smirked, but the smirk was soon replaced with a scowl as one of the attackers spun in air and sailed through the window, delivering a kick that Sasuke barely managed to block. The guy with the mask growled a little before lashing out at Sasuke with a fist. Sasuke caught it with ease and snarled.

"I don't know who you are, but it will take more than this to take me down."

The stranger, male if his voice was anything to go by, growled. "We will see about that, punk."

With that he disappeared in puff of white smoke. Sasuke cursed. "A Shadow Clone, eh? Not bad. But it will… Umf!"

He just managed to block a kick to the face, but he was still sent backwards by the sheer power the momentum gave the stranger. Naruto uncovered his Sharingan and snarled. No doubt, this was the real one.

"Good one pal. Using Shadow Clones like that… nice. But how will you fight two Sharingan users?"

No response. Sakura moved fast, ready to punch. But every punch she launched was easily dodged, even in the cramped room. The enemy seemed to be able to predict their moves, and as such didn't seem to have trouble blocking the attacks Naruto and Sasuke delivered while dodging Sakura's. Sasuke frowned. Even though both he and Naruto could see where this attacker would be the second before he got there, the enemy seemed able to know where to place himself so he could defend himself or dodge an incoming attack from Sakura. Sasuke let out a small growl. He and Naruto couldn't use their ninjutsu to fry this guy since there was a captive in the room that was in for questioning. Also, where the hell was Neji and Shikamaru? And why was the tap running?

Then a low feminine voice could be heard.

"Mind if I join?"

Naruto and Sakura spun around, just in time to dodge two hands glowing with blue chakra. Naruto frowned. Those were chakra scalpels… the same as Kabuto's.

"Don't let her touch you with those. They are chakra scalpels."

Sasuke merely glared at Naruto as he blocked another kick. "Tell me something I don't know, dope."

Sakura spoke up as she stepped to stand between the new enemy and her teammates. "Guys: You two deal with that guy. I will deal with this woman."

The boys nodded and Sakura smiled wickedly at her opponent.

"Two medical-ninjas fighting each other. Should be interesting."

The woman nodded. "Indeed."

And so they began their fight. It was a wonder no one came running to see what caused the uproar and Itachi seemed to be sleeping through the whole thing, without getting hit. But then again, this section of the hospital was very secluded and seeing how Christmas was drawing near, only a minimum of the staff had nightshifts. Sakura cursed under her breath. Her opponent was good at evading her attacks while Sakura had more difficult evading her attacks. She frowned slightly. Where were Neji and Shikamaru? Also, why had the boys so much trouble dealing with that guy? 'Damn this place for being so cramped'.

Sakura finally landed a punch, although it wasn't loaded with chakra, she still heard her enemy gasp in pain as her fist connected with her stomach. The stranger staggered a little before falling against the wall opposite the sink. Sakura smirked as she approached her opponent.

"You have two choices. Surrender or you will die."

The masked woman looked up at Sakura. Then she chuckled. "In a war and in chess, if you aren't at least one step ahead of your opponent, you lose. Water Element: Water Rope jutsu!"

The water running from the tap instantly lashed out as it formed a rope. Sakura was too slow to react as the rope flew around her neck and throat, while some of the water on the water shot up around her legs and wrist, binding her firmly in place, before the water retreated into the pipes, slamming Sakura into the wall. She groaned a little. But before she could utter a word, the rope reformed and kept her against the wall. Looking around she saw that all of the water that previously covered the entire floor, was now being used to pin her to the wall. Growling menacingly at her opponent who now stood up, forming the sign of the bird.

"How? You didn't form seals during our fight."

Her opponent chuckled darkly just shook her head and glanced at her partner as she walked to the bed. "I'm sorry things came to this. I never wanted to fight you in the first place. But I guess life isn't that simple."

Sasuke and Naruto had seen how their teammate was taking down. Sasuke growled, killing intent rolling of him in waves.

"You will be sorry. For coming here and attacking our friend that is. Chidori!"

The room was filled with the sound of a thousand birds chirping and a white light as Sasuke rushed forward to take down the man. His opponent's surprise was evident in his voice.

"Chidori… that is… crap!"

He jumped out of the way and formed seals in the process, making sure his opponents couldn't see them. He stood in the corner where window and wall blended when Sasuke attacked by expanding his Chidori into a spear. They heard the stranger curse under his breath before making a move.

"Wind Element: Hurricane Edge!"

As he said this he thrust his right hand forwards. Sasuke' and Naruto's Sharingan eyes widened when they saw wind surrounding their opponent's right hand before meeting the tip of the Chidori spear head-on. Their surprised look didn't lessen as the spear was cut through upon contact, dissolving it into nothing. And suddenly Sasuke was sent flying into the wall by a kick to the chest. Apparently the wind had drawn him closer and he hadn't been able to get away from it.

Naruto growled.

"Nice one. But that won't work twice. Take this: Rasengan!"

But his opponent was ready for it. Moving faster than Naruto, he grabbed Naruto by the wrist where he held his Rasengan, twisted it onto Naruto's back without hurting him with the Rasengan, and slammed Naruto into the wall, face first. Naruto grunted in pain at the impact, but then he smirked.

"Nice. But didn't you forget something?"

The stranger merely kicked backwards, hitting the Naruto coming from behind in the gut. The Shadow Clone exploded and Naruto could hear the one holding him smirk.

"Nope. I don't think so."

Then he twisted Naruto's arm out again before launching a punch that hit Naruto square in the face, sending him flying till he hit the wall and fell down beside Sasuke. Sakura's eyes went wide. Those two just took down her teammates and herself with a couple of ninjutsu and taijutsu moves. She shouted out as the man made hand seals.

"Naruto-kun! Sasuke-kun! Watch out!"

"Too late for that! Wind Element: Hurricane Edge!"

"Stop. They are not the enemy."

The man stopped dead in his track when his partner spoke. He dispelled his jutsu and spoke with a voice filled with disbelief as his friend released the ropes holding Sakura.

"Not the enemy? Come on now, we both saw the two punks trying to kill Itachi."

The woman nodded and released her water jutsu so Sakura could stand up. Her voice was calm.

"Yeah. But they were stopped. Besides, I think I know those two. Or at least one of them."

She turned her attention to the two young men.

"Is that you…? Naruto-chan?"

Naruto spluttered at this. "WHAT? Wha… What did you call me!"

Sasuke's jaw dropped while Sakura clutched her sides in barely contained laughter. Then Sasuke began laughing. The woman turned her attention to her partner.

"Don't you think the black-haired boy looks familiar too?"

The man seemed to be looking at Sasuke before nodding. The woman gave a little sad sigh. "I've only met him a couple of times when he was two or three years old, but I guess he is Sasuke-chan, Itachi's little brother."

Sasuke flushed until his face was the same face as a tomato while Naruto smirked. Sakura, on the other hand, rolled on the floor, roaring with laughter. The man looked from his partner, to Sasuke, to Itachi and back to his partner.

"They kinda look alike I guess. But that doesn't explain why the blond has a Sharingan eye or how the black-haired one knows that move."

Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke merely glared at their opponents. Now that they were standing still, they could see that the man was slightly taller than Naruto and Sasuke while the woman was slightly taller than Sakura. Both the cloak made it impossible to assess their body. Sakura looked at her teammates before focusing her gaze at the two strangers.

"I don't know who you two are, but I doubt you are from this village. Otherwise you would have known that Kakashi-sensei taught Sasuke-kun Chidori 6 years ago."

This made the woman look at Sakura. "Kakashi… as in Kakashi Hatake?"

Upon the nod the man began sputtering. "Kakashi Hatake as a jounin sensei? I didn't see that coming."

Naruto covered his Sharingan with his headband before speaking in a low voice.

"You seem to know a lot about Kakashi-sensei."

The two strangers both nodded before they walked over to Itachi's bed. The woman spoke, and the three teenagers could almost sense the sadness in her voice.

"Yes. We knew him. And… seeing that Sharingan in your eye Naruto-kun… I guess he is dead?"

Naruto hung his head sadly before replying. "Yeah. Two years ago."

The two strangers nodded before the man, much to the three teenagers' disbelief, began poking Itachi's forehead with his right index and middle finger. He spoke in a low childish tone.

"Rise and shine, Itachi Uchiha."

At this Itachi groaned. "Go away mom. It's Saturday."

The three youngsters could almost imagine the frown on the man's face, and could also imagine the bemused look that soon settled on both strangers' faces behind their masks. Then the man began poking Itachi's nose and forehead.

"Wake up Itachinini, you sleepyhead."

At this Itachi's eyes flew wide open and stared up in the masked faces, for once a completely baffled look on his face. "How is this possible? Only three people have called me that."

The teenagers frowned. Itachi knew those people. Naruto was the one who voiced their thoughts. "Instead of 'how', I would like to know 'who'."

The strangers looked at each other for a moment before nodding. They removed their masks and hoods, giving the trio a clear look of their faces. Both looked to be in their early thirties. The man had spiky black hair, a patch covering his left eye while the right eye was onyx. The right part of his face seemed to have suffered some damage as scars covered it. His skin was slightly tanned, but not much.

The woman had long brown hair that ended near her shoulders. She had a warm smile, brown eyes, pale skin, a beautiful face and two purple markings on her cheeks.

When she spoke, they could sense her kindness.

"My name is Rin Arashi and this is my old teammate, friend and partner, Obito Uchiha. Nice to meet you."

End chapter three.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Bringing Down the House.

"My name is Rin Arashi and this is my old teammate, friend and partner, Obito Uchiha. Nice to meet you."

Obito glanced at Rin, a puzzled look on his face. "Do you really mean that Rin-chan? Because my first impression of these three… well… they are bunch of idiots."

Rin shot him a little glare. "Be nice, Obito-kun."

The three teenagers goggled at the newcomers. They looked somewhat familiar. Sasuke voiced their thoughts.

"Obito… Uchiha? I don't understand. Itachi killed the Uchiha clan; except for me and him. But… Obito was never on the list of victims. And what is your connection with Kakashi-sensei?"

Obito and Rin shot Itachi a look filled with horror and disbelief. Itachi sighed.

"That is why I asked how this is possible. Sasuke, Naruto-kun, Sakura-san, meet Kakashi's old teammates. Why Obito wasn't on the casualty list from that night: Because he was already dead by then. He died before you were even born. He saved Kakashi in a war and was killed by doing so. Before he died, he gave Kakashi his left eye. That was how Kakashi got his Sharingan. Rin and Kakashi started dating two years later. But one night Rin was killed. She took Kakashi's ANBU armour and an enemy mistook her for being Kakashi. Kakashi, Obito and Rin were the only ones who ever saw me as kid who should have a normal childhood; and for that I'm grateful. After Obito, my favourite cousin, was killed, the other two increased their efforts to give me a normal childhood."

Itachi took a semi deep breath, before setting his gaze two oldest in the room. "Now, Obito and Rin: How can this be true? You shouldn't be standing here."

Rin and Obito glanced at each other before nodding sadly. Rin spoke. "Itachi-kun, what you say is true. We shouldn't be here because we are, or rather were, dead. We were resurrected by one we don't know: nor do we know why we were brought back."

"Sakura, is everything okay in here? Why did you make such a ruckus? You guys are so trouble…some."

Neji and Shikamaru entered the room but stopped dead in their tracks when they saw the two strangers. Sakura snorted.

"Now you show up? Where were you?"

Shikamaru shrugged and put his hands into his pockets. "We thought the uproar was you beating up your teammates. It was first when Neji bothered activating his Byakugan we saw you were under attack; besides, we were enjoying a game of shogi. Anyways, who are these people?"

After a short introduction, Itachi went back to sleep while the others sat down and discussed the possible outcomes of the trial and Kage summit. Tsunade joined soon after and was really shocked to see Rin and Obito there but she didn't question them too much. Aside from that she also told them that Itachi's trial and the Kage summit would be after Christmas. And to Naruto's delight, the message that Jiraiya would be back the next day and stay for a while. With that they went their separate ways. Well, Obito and Rin stayed with Itachi while the others went home.

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The next day went in a blur for Naruto. He, Sasuke and Sakura were shopping and preparing for the big party they were going to throw for Naruto's promotion. With him their team would consist of two jounins and one special jounin: Sakura with specialty in healing. Their preparations consisted of cleaning the mansion, getting food beverages and all that kind of stuff. The cleaning was done by Naruto and his Shadow Clones while Sakura took care of the food and the beverages. Food: Barbeque chicken, pork, potatoes with accessories, salads and different ramen while there would be ice cream and other stuff as dessert. All of it would be made by Teuchi in the estate's kitchen with the help from his daughter and Rin. Leverages: Saké, different wines, beer called Carlsberg and Tuborg, fizzy drinks, whiskey, vodka for mixing drinks, and normal water. Sasuke stood for making the guest list.

The ones invited were:

Tsunade, Jiraiya, the Leaf 12 with their senseis, Anko with children, Iruka, Yamato, Shizune, Sai, Rin, Obito, Katie, Konohamaru with his friends (now chuunin) and senseis, Shikala and her parents. Although some suspected the older Naras were there to supervise their daughter and keep her away from a certain blond.

While Sakura shopped, she heard that the news about Itachi being in the hospital already had reached the ears of the Elders, causing a heated discussion between them and Tsunade about whether or not he should have a trial or just executed. And from what Sakura could pick up, Root had already tried assassinating Itachi, about three hours after they had left him the other night. When she had asked Rin about it, she confirmed the rumours. There had been four Root members. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, the Root members had a little run-in with Obito and Rin, who was less than pleased with someone trying to kill Itachi like that. But none of the Root were killed or captured, much to the chagrin of Tsunade, Obito and Rin.

So now two ANBU squads were guarding Itachi. And finally… it became evening.

"Coming, coming."

The doorbell had rung for the first time that evening and Naruto was the one to answer it. He was wearing a tuxedo but his tie was giving him some trouble. When he opened the double doors he was met by a woman with two small children. The woman almost looked like she did six years ago when she was proctor for the second Chuunin Exam, although she seemed to have gained a little weight. He took a quick glance at the kids. Both around 2 years old. The boy looked exactly like his dad and the girl like her mother. Smiling broadly, Naruto hugged the two children before greeting Anko.

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"Good evening Anko-sensei."

Anko smiled broadly. "Good evening Naruto-kun. My, how you have grown. I still remember the time when you were this little cocky brat."

Naruto smiled sheepishly and rubbed his neck. "Yeah. I'm kinda embarrassed about that. Anyway, I see you have brought the toddlers with you too. Hello Sakumo-chan and Anki-chan."

The boy, Sakumo, looked at Naruto before smiling a little. The toddler pointed one little finger at him and spoke.

"Ello, Uncle Loser."

Naruto looked at Sakumo with one wide eye, a smile on his face. 'Sasuke, I'm going to kill you.'

As on cue, Sasuke appeared. He smiled at Anko and the kids. "Evening Anko. And how have you been, Sakumo, Anki?"

Anki smiled at Sasuke and pointed, giving a happy shout. "Uncle Emo!"

Sasuke merely smiled at Anki. 'Naruto, I'm going to kill you.'

Then they heard a roaring laughter. "Uncle Loser and Uncle Emo. Would you please step aside so your guests can enter?"

Glancing over Anko's shoulders, they could see the rest of the guests being led by Jiraiya and Tsunade as they approached. And Kurenai and Asuma had brought their boy Hiruzen Sarutobi II with them. That's right; Asuma and Kurenai were now married and had a boy. Shikamaru had been the best man at their wedding and Anko maid of honour. Most of the guys wore black tuxedoes with white shirts and tie. The exception being Jiraiya in his normal outfit, while Lee and Gai had bought a _green _tuxedo each. The women were in dresses, the exceptions being Tsunade and Anko as they preferred their normal clothes. As they entered, Tsunade stopped in the hall and waited for the rest of the guests to pass. Once she and Naruto were the alone, she held him back.

Naruto looked at her with a puzzled expression gracing his face. "Granny Tsunade?"

Tsunade looked sad for a moment before beckoning for him to get within her reach. Naruto walked closer, although hesitating, causing Tsunade to chuckle.

"Don't worry brat, I won't hit you for that. It's just that your father couldn't knot a tie either, despite his genius. Jiraiya always had to help him. Just like I always had to help Dan the short time I knew him."

She hung her head sadly for a moment before helping him with his tie.

Naruto smiled sadly. "Thanks Granny Tsunade. I just wish he could be here."

Tsunade nodded before doing something she hadn't done in six years: She kissed his forehead; although she had to rise on her toes to do so.

"Me too brat, me too. Congratulations. One step closer to becoming Hokage."

With that she walked into the others and Naruto followed soon after, closing the door, while smiling at what Tsunade said about his father.

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The dinner went smoothly. Even Naruto got more to eat than just ramen. Out of 7 different ramen, he only got to taste two of them. And only one bowl. Many of the senseis were shocked when they were told that the two strangers were Obito and Rin. Obito was even more shocked when he first laid eyes on Gai and Lee.

"Holy shit! Gai has a son!"

Lee looked from Gai to Obito and back again. "Gai-sensei? Do you know this man?"

This caused both Obito and Rin to fall anime-style, face first. "GAI? Maito Gai? As jounin-sensei? No way!"

Lee was quite affronted. "How dare you insult Gai-sensei?"

Gai placed a calming hand on his student's shoulders. "Relax Lee. They are my old classmates and the teammates of Kakashi."

This made Lee shut up.

Once the kids were in bed, it was time for a little taijutsu tournament. Lee won of course, making Gai cry anime-style. The others didn't care, it was just for fun. Well, that is until Lee said that since most of the competitors were older than he, they was now over their springtime of youth and thus were too old to fight him fair and square. Unfortunately for him, Tsunade heard this. And she was drunk. Result: She challenged Lee to a fight and mopped the floor with him, since she was a professional Drunken Fist user.

One hour later there was music and dance. Every one seemed to have a fun time. Except the one whom the party was held for: Naruto. He was standing in the sitting room that was to be located next to the Great Hall, looking into the fireplace, lost in thoughts. Pretty much all of his friends had come and asked him what was wrong, but he had dismissed them with "I'm fine." He almost jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Naruto-kun? What's wrong?"

Turning around, he looked at Rin. Smiling, he replied. "I'm alright. Thanks Rin-san, but I'm fine."

"You might be able to fool the rest of them Naruto-kun, but you can't fool us. Especially Rin."

Glancing at the door, Naruto saw Obito leaning against the doorframe. Frowning slightly before giving them a broad smile, Naruto answered.

"I'm not trying to fool anybody Obito-san. Really, I'm fine."

Obito stared at him for moment before snorting. "Yeah, right. And I'm a blond. You are a jounin, but can't lie better than that?"

Naruto crossed his arms in front of his chest and glared at Obito with a narrowed eye. "And who said I was lying?"

Obito merely glared back and crossed his arms. Then he sighed. "One of the merits of growing up with Kakashi, and in Rin's case, being his girlfriend, is that you learn how to know when somebody is lying. Kakashi was a master at lying and deceiving. I think the only ones who ever knew when he was telling a lie was your father, Minato-sensei, and later on Rin. And you are nowhere as good at telling a lie as Kakashi. So you might as well spill it."

Naruto's mouth dropped. "How do you know the Fourth Hokage was my father?"

Obito and Rin felt like punching the new jounin. Rin smiled. "I told him. Aside from that, you look almost exactly like Minato-sensei. So… are you willing to tell us what's wrong?"

Naruto stared at his sensei's two teammates. None of them looked like they were going to leave before they got some answers. And they were right, he was nowhere as good as deceiving people as Kakashi. Fighting them wasn't an option. It would just alert the others and create mayhem. If the fight developed that is. He remembered how they had bested Sasuke, Sakura and himself yesterday. As if reading his thoughts, Obito activated his Sharingan, now fully developed.

"Naruto-kun, we don't want to fight you. But if you attack us, we will fight back."

Naruto sat down, sighing. "I guess you won't leave until I tell you what's on my mind?"

They just nodded, Obito deactivating his Sharingan.

"Well… It's about Kakashi-sensei."

Rin and Obito changed glances before taking a seat. Rin was the one to speak. "Go on Naruto-kun. We will answer any questions you ask. To our best ability."

Naruto smiled weakly. "Thanks. I just can't stop thinking that this party is wrong. I mean, this estate belongs to Kakashi-sensei; and he is the only one who isn't here. I wanted him to be here when I became chuunin and jounin, congratulating me and be proud that he raised such a student. But I can't stop thinking: Would he be proud of it? Me being jounin I mean. I'm not that great of a tactician, nor smart like him. And… and every time I look into the history books and old records, I see Kakashi-sensei mentioned as a hero who was given different medals."

Rin glanced at Obito before looking at Naruto, sympathy evident in her eyes and voice. "Naruto-kun, listen to me. This question might seem awfully out of place, but: Have you ever killed somebody?"

Naruto blushed without knowing why. But Rin's question did nothing to ease his mind. And he had a feeling that they would laugh at him when answered.

"No. I have yet to make my first kill. And when I think about the numbers of people Kakashi-sensei killed when in ANBU, I just feel…"

Rin held up a hand and Naruto felt silent. Especially when he saw her smile. Somehow, it seemed to soothe his nerves. Her voice was low, but filled with compassion.

"Naruto-kun, first of all, you must understand this: ANBU and normal missions are different things. In ANBU you see and do things civilians, and sometimes even ninjas, have a hard time understanding. People usually quit after 4-5 years, due to the strain the job puts on the mind. Kakashi was in ANBU from the age of 14, and if I understood it correctly from Tsunade-sama, till he was 26. I think the only reason he never broke down was because of you Naruto-kun. Because he felt a responsibility for you. He kept going for you. And to hide his wealth. Besides, we knew Kakashi longer than you did."

Obito nodded. "That's true. I knew him for 4 years and Rin knew him a little longer. And we were in contact with him daily."

Rin smiled. "Yeah. I swear: Kakashi and Obito were just like you and Sasuke-kun. Or at least that is what I gather from Sakura-san. Obito would be you, the class clown while Kakashi would be Sasuke, the cool elite. But that doesn't matter. You ask if Kakashi would be proud or disappointed. Knowing Kakashi the way I did, I won't hesitate to tell you that he would be extremely proud. He truly hoped that you never would have to kill, although it's almost impossible in the ninja world."

Obito nodded again. "True. Besides, killing is a lot harder than you think. Especially the first. I killed for the first time when I was 11. I felt like puking but didn't give in because Kakashi was there. But once alone, I spend almost all night emptying my stomach. Killing leaves you with a hollow feeling inside, until only regret and bitterness remain. Or at least that is how I felt. I don't know what he hoped for you, for I never lived that long."

Rin smiled sadly. "What Obito says about killing is true. And let me tell another thing: We grew up when war still raged. It was almost easy to be called a hero. Of course Kakashi deserved it since he took particular difficult missions, but he never cared about the medals. He used to say this:

_Medals don't tell anything about your skill, courage or wisdom. They tell about your luck._"

Rin let out a sad sigh. "Remember that, Naruto-kun. Besides, history books tend to exaggerate and take sides."

Naruto smiled. His mood had lightened. "Thanks Obito-san and Rin-nee-chan. Now, you must have me excused. I have a party to partake in, believe it!"

With that he joined the others. Obito glanced at Rin. "Do you think that we should have told him about how Kakashi used to be?"

Rin shook her head in a no. "We don't need to. Jiraiya-sama already told him."

Obito nodded and they both left the room. When they entered the great hall, they saw Naruto staring at something, his mouth hitting the floor. And he wasn't alone. Following their gazes, they saw why people were staring like that. Obito's mouth hit the floor too. On a couch in the far corner, Jiraiya was making out with Tsunade. Quite a lot actually. Of course, Naruto should ruin the moment.

"Oi, Pervy Sage and Granny Tsunade! Get a room!"

Tsunade and Jiraiya send him a glare that could level a certain blue Mist ninja with the ground. They stood up and left. Naruto followed them out. When they stood in the hall, both glanced at Naruto. Jiraiya spoke.

"In case I haven't said it yet, congratulations Brat. Although you still have a lot to learn. For instance, not interfering with your superiors' love life. Anyway, congratulations. Minato and Kakashi would have been proud of you. I know I am."

Naruto smiled. "Thanks Pervy Sage. It means a lot to me. You are welcome to spend the night here; we have enough room. Iruka-sensei, Anko, Obito and Rin and Kurenai-sensei and Asuma-sensei will be sleeping here as well. But I really wish you would stop calling me Brat."

The last was said with a little pout.

Tsunade smiled. "Thank you Naruto, Jiraiya and I better get going. I need to check up on Itachi before I go to sleep. Also, Jiraiya and I intend to pay a visit to Sarutobi-sensei's grave and the Memorial Stone. Anyway brat, it was nice party. I hope we can celebrate Christmas here too?"

Groaning internally since he knew he would be the one to clean up the aftermath, he nodded. How could he refuse? They were the only ones with the capacity to host so many people. Well, the clans could too, but the compounds would be crowded with family and friends. And the Uchiha complex had yet to be furnished. Aside from that it also yet had to get water and electricity installed.

"Of course we can celebrate Christmas here. And stop calling me Brat!"

Chuckling Tsunade shook her head before taking Jiraiya's hand in her own. "We will stop calling you Brat when you stop eating ramen."

Naruto pouted. "Not fair."

Grinning and waving, the two Sannin left. Naruto grumbled and groaned as he closed the door. He knew damn well how Sasuke and Sakura were going to react. He just hoped Obito and Rin would help him.

-Two weeks later, Christmas Eve-

(AN: I don't know how they celebrate Christmas in Japan and I have only a little knowledge of how they do it England, so Naruto and the others are going to celebrate Christmas as we do it in my family.)

Everyone from Naruto's promotion party was gathered again, although this time all of them were wearing their usual outfit. Almost. The outfits were now adjusted to the cold weather; and Obito and Rin were now in the normal chuunin and jounin uniform. This time the great hall was decorated with Christmas trees, a long table with a chair for each guest, mistletoe over every entrance and in the corners, and other kinds of decorations everywhere while several transportable fireplaces and candles warmed and lit up the room. As Naruto feared, the two others hadn't exactly been happy.

But at least Obito and Rin helped him out. Rin healed him after they beat him and Obito had interfered before things got too much out of hand. In the two last weeks there had only been one more assassination attempt on Itachi. But the assailant had run into Obito who, for some reason, had snuck into the ward and hidden himself under the bed while the ANBU dealt with some minor trouble outside. Apparently the Root had outsmarted the ANBU guards, but not taken Obito into consideration. Unfortunately, the attacker escaped, driving Obito mad.

There had also fallen a lot more snow, much to the ninjas' chagrin. But now they were all gathered again, sitting around the table with all the food, the snow was the last thing on their mind. And again Teuchi and his daughter were the ones cooking with some help from Rin. The menu consisted of geese, potatoes with and without sugar icing, red cabbage, sauce, red wines, beer and soft drinks.

And for dessert: Risalamande and, if they wished to add it, cherry sauce.

No ramen, much to Naruto's displeasure, but Teuchi and Ayame had refused to cook it for this occasion.

After dinner they sung a couple of Christmas carols. And then it was time for presents. For the kids it was different toys, while it for the adults were clothes, ninja gear and that kind of stuff. Some women got perfume while the men got aftershave

Around 10.30 p.m. the children were tucked in and sleeping soundly. The adults, not as drunk as last time, were enjoying each others company in the sitting room and great hall with cards, games, drinks or just talk.

About half an hour later, they were all gathered in the great hall to wish each other good night. Except for the kids of course; and even Naruto had to admit he had had a good time, even without ramen. It was then it happened. An ANBU came running into the great hall, shouting.

"Hokage-sama! We are under attack!"

Tsunade's head swung so fast it was a wonder her head was still connected to her body, eyes narrowed. "What? Who?"

Regaining his breath, the ANBU answered. "Black cloaks with red skies… Akatsuki, Hokage-sama!"

Silence reigned for almost one minute. Then Tsunade regained her composure and barked out one order.

"PREPARE FOR BATTLE!"

End chapter 4

AN: If you don't know what risalamande is, don't despair. It's a traditional Danish Christmas dessert made of rice pudding, whipped cream and blanched, chopped almonds.

And Tuborg and Carlsberg are Danish beers.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Water, Fire, Bombs, Shadows and Blood.

"PREPARE FOR BATTLE!"

Tsunade didn't need to say it twice. The Great Hall became a blur of movement as people rushed out. Anko, Kurenai, Shizune and Iruka were the only ones left behind alongside Obito and Rin. But when the women and Iruka started moving towards the door, Iruka in his wheelchair, Obito stepped in front of them, blocking their way and arms crossed. He looked at all four of them and they answered him by staring back. His voice was soft as he spoke.

"And where do you four think you are going?"

Anko and Kurenai scowled, answering him at the same time. "Where do you think we are going? To fight Akatsuki of course!"

Iruka seemed equally angry. "I want to help!"

Obito sighed. "I know that Iruka-kun. But you and the three ladies do best in staying here."

Kurenai and Anko opened their mouths to protest. But words never left their mouths. Instead they slowly fell forwards, allowing Obito to catch Anko from the front while Rin caught Kurenai from behind. They dragged them over to a couple of couches and placed them there. Iruka stared at them, mouth hanging open.

"What are you doing? A fight is in progress and…"

He never got to finish as Obito silenced him with a glare. Rin spoke. "We know Iruka-kun. And that's why we need you to stay here. You will only get in the way. You can't fight and you can't help out in the Hospital. But you are good with kids. So stay here and keep an eye on the kids; just in case they wake up. As for Kurenai and Anko: They need to stay here for their kids' sake. Growing up as an orphan is painful. You should know that."

Iruka was silent as he though about his and Naruto's childhood. Indeed it had been painful. He slowly nodded, internally cursing himself for not being able to do more.

Rin smiled sadly, while Shizune seemed to submit to their logic. She couldn't risk her baby after all.

"We know you want to be of more use, but right now you can't do anything. When Kurenai and Anko wake up, you can. Explain them that at least they have to live on, for their children's sake."

Iruka sighed and nodded. 'Just great. Stuck with two jounin with kids. And one jounin who is pregnant. I'm so dead.' "I will."

Rin smiled. "Good. Thanks." She turned to Obito. "Let's go."

Obito nodded. "Yeah. I will join the fight. You better help out in the field with the wounded. Be careful."

Rin nodded once and with that they were off.

0000000

30 seconds after they left the estate, the first explosions sounded. In the middle of the village no less. And more seemed to come from the Main Gate. And from the sky. The sky? Neji and Hinata activated their Byakugan. Hinata searched the sky, while Neji searched the ground. Hinata gasped.

"There is a man in the sky. He is on top of some strange bird. He… he… oh my god! He has mouths in his hands!"

Naruto snarled as he uncovered his Sharingan. "Deidara. Neji, what do you see?"

Neji narrowed his eyes a little as he concentrated. "The civilians are being evacuated and taking shelter in their own safe houses underground as we speak. And the artillery in the Hokage Mountain and in the towers are about to be fired. Hmmm… that chakra… where have I seen it before?"

They were now well into the village.

Neji's eyes went wide as he shouted. "Shit!"

The word barely left his mouth before a gigantic pillar of fire rose in the middle of town, instantly burning anything into crisp within a diameter of 30 metres. Neji narrowed his eyes again.

"Horns… scythe… Fire Element jutsu, tall. There is no mistake. This guy is the one who attacked Sakura, Shikamaru and I two years ago. If I remember correctly, his name is Devalan. He is from the Hidden Fire Village."

Tsunade glanced at Neji as they ran. "The Hidden Fire Village you say? It was destroyed last year in an earthquake. Or at least that is how the rumour goes. How is the evacuation going?"

Neji and Hinata frowned slightly before relieved smiles were seen on their faces. Hinata was the first to speak. "Evacuation complete. All civilians are out of harms way."

Neji nodded. "The clan compounds' and the Hospital's security jutsus are active. Wait!"

He frowned slightly. Then he gasped. "There is one outside the Hospital. About Gai-sensei's height, hair in a pineapple fashion and… he is an Akatsuki! The Hospital is under attack! And… look out!"

A huge wave of water came towards them with incredible speed. They all cursed as they jumped upwards and landed on the water.

Neji frowned. "This is bad. The entire village is flooded. Almost. The clan compounds, the Hatake Estate, the Hokage Tower, the Academy, the ANBU Headquarters and the Hospital were all protected by chakra shields. And the houses are somewhat intact but underwater. But for casualties… I don't know. But I know who did this. This jutsu belongs to another member of Akatsuki; one with blue skin and a massive sword. He is from the Hidden Mist."

Naruto growled. "His name is Kisame Hoshigaki. He is Itachi's former partner. This won't be easy. Neji: How many to back us up?"

Neji frowned. Then paled slightly before sighing. "Not many I'm afraid. The clans are trapped within their compounds' chakra shield. Others are running around, trying to find the enemy or survivors. Some are trapped with their families and those kinds of things. In other words, we are pretty much the only ones left to deal with this."

Tsunade frowned as she thought. Dealing with two S-class criminals and one of unknown power was not good. Then she came to a decision.

"Team Gai! You will deal with Kisame Hoshigaki. Team 7! You will take care of Devalan. Team Asuma! Deal with the one attacking the Hospital. Team 8! Start searching for allies and enemies. I doubt that those four will be alone. If you find more enemies, do not engage in combat unless forced to. Team Ebisu! You will assist Team 8! All people are to use wireless radios!"

Konohamaru was far from pleased with that. "No way! I want to…!"

Tsunade cut him off by glaring at him. "You want to follow orders brat!" He gaze softened. "Konohamaru, you and your friends are outclassed here. Besides, Sarutobi-sensei would scold me if I let you get hurt."

The three youngest smiled weakly. Konohamaru spoke again, although timid. "Yes Hokage-sama. We will do as you command. Let's go!"

With that Team Ebisu took off. Tsunade looked at the rest of them. "What are you still standing here for? MOVE IT!"

"YES HOKAGE-SAMA!"

With that they were off; save from the Nara family. Tsunade glanced at them. "Yoshino; take your daughter to your house. Shikaku and Yamato; Go and spread the word. Tell anybody who can get out of their shelters and who can fight that we have been attacked by Akatsuki."

When they hesitated she grew stern.

"That's an order."

They nodded and took off. Jiraiya sighed, the explosions in the sky increasing. "This is not good. We can't reach the last guy. Furthermore, we are low on troops. And there are almost bound to be more Akatsuki close by. And to top it off, the civilians are caught in their shelters. How long before they run out of oxygen?"

Tsunade frowned. "About 6 hours. Depending on how many there are in the rooms. Damnit! We need to do something about that guy up there. Do you think our summons can take him down?"

Jiraiya shook his head in a no. "I'm afraid not. They would be spotted immediately and draw too much attention. Besides, there is a limit for our attacks' range and speed"

"Let me deal with him."

Both Sannin turned around and saw Obito following Deidara's movements with his Sharingan.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "And how do you plan on doing that?"

Obito grinned. "By fighting him on his own turf. Summoning jutsu!"

A poof of smoke later, and Obito was standing on a hawk about the same size of Deidara's clay bird when he infiltrated the Sand. The hawk was as black as coal except its beak and legs that was grey. Obito smiled.

"Let's go, Taka Black. Don't go down, you hear me?"

The hawk merely scowled at him before nodding and taking off, melting in with the dark sky.

Deidara cackled as he flew high in the air, dropping his bombs almost randomly, avoiding the missiles coming at him with ease. It was easier than it was in the Sand though. .

"Come out, come out little Jinchuuriki, wherever you are. Hmm? What is that?"

He zoomed in on the faint shapes of people moving towards his allies in a rapid pace. He smirked as he pushed on the wireless radio he wore.

"Kisame; you have incoming resistance two o'clock. Devalan; approaching resistance three o'clock. Sh… Shit!"

Deidara barely managed dodging a couple of shuriken; if he hadn't moved, his throat would have been pierced. He glared. He hadn't heard them coming due to the explosions. He just caught sight of a minor reflection to his right and turned to face it. It was then that he had seen it was a shuriken turning, but from where, he couldn't tell. However, he didn't have much time to contemplate it as he heard a familiar whistling sound. Glancing down at his bird's rear, his face contorted into one of anger, frustration, surprise and a little fear.

"Cra…"

BOOOUUUMM!

He bird exploded as the explosive tags on the kunai knives went off. Taka smiled. "Got him Obito-san."

Obito frowned. "No… too easy. There he is."

They both looked as Deidara fell before he twisted in midair, producing another clay bird to ride on. But Obito smirked as he saw Deidara frantically looking around, trying to find his new opponent.

"Let's go introduce ourselves, shall we? It seems he is informing the other enemies through radios. Let's give him something other to worry about than being a scout."

Taka nodded as he dove.

"_Deidara, are there opponents heading my way?" _

Deidara sighed in annoyance. The last attack had caused him to lose sight of the groups. 'Who does this new guy think he is? Ought to teach him a lesson, hm.' "I got attacked okay? I will check it out now if you… Damn, not again!"

A new barrage of shuriken and kunai was sent for him. And yet again, he didn't hear them coming. It was just because he had to turn to the right to avoid one of the huge arrows that he saw them coming.

They barely missed him since he ducked. "Whoa. That was a bit too close for comfort. And… What the Devil?"

He just now saw his bird starting to split in two along the middle, causing him to spread his legs. And through the hole he could see two kunai with explosive notes. "This can't be good."

BOOUUMM!

For the second time within two minutes Deidara felt himself close to dieing by his own creations. He barely managed to jump off the bird before it exploded.

'This one is good, hm: being able to take down my art like that. What's worse… since Shredkill died, I no longer have infinite amount of explosive clay. But that doesn't explain why my creation started going apart like that, hm.'

He produced another one, ignoring the one trying to contact him. Two times he had paid attention to the radio, twice it almost cost him his life. It was beyond frustrating. He growled something unintelligible, but he was answered nonetheless.

"Boo. Fire Element: Mythical Fire Phoenix jutsu!"

Deidara spun around, just in time to evade a barrage of fireballs and make a new bird to ride on as the fireballs caused the third one he had created that night to explode. When he landed safely on the fourth, he glared at his opponent. Normal of build, black hair, right part of his face being scarred, wearing standard Leaf chuunin/jounin uniform and gloves. Only one eye, the other covered by a patch. Deidara's mouth dropped when he saw the thing his opponent was standing on. A black hawk, floating soundlessly in the air.

Deidara grumbled.

"So that's why I couldn't see you, hm. Your hawk is completely hidden in the darkness. And your clothes don't make it any easier, hm. Furthermore, you attack when I was talking into the radio or an explosion was particular close to me. What's your name, hm?"

"Obito Uchiha." And as to underline his statement he activated his Sharingan again. He had deactivated it before introducing himself in order to catch his opponent off guard. And it seemed to be a success, seeing how Deidara almost took a step back. He smirked.

Deidara let out a snarl. "Let's begin, hm."

And with that they engaged each other in battle.

00000

Devalan growled. Where was that damn Jinchuuriki? He had already wounded and killed a couple of chuunin, jounin and ANBU. Just as he was about to cut down another chuunin, it happened.

"Wind Element: Rasengan!"

Spinning to his left, Devalan saw a ball of compressed rotating chakra coming for him. He merely sidestepped it and it hit the water. He smiled. There was the Jinchuuriki, running right at him. He frowned.

'Something isn't right here. Why would he attack alone? Unless this is a…' "Trap!"

He spun around, just in time to block a katana blazing with flames and lightning. He stared. Sasuke smirked up at him, Sharingan activated.

"Nice one. Remember me?"

With that they began a fierce blade fight, their weapons blazing with flames. Sasuke did fairly well, using his Sharingan to predict where the blows were going. But this guy's teleportation made it hard for him to land a hit. Devalan smirked. He did remember Sasuke. And he had to admit, the boy had improved. He was almost unstoppable. Almost. Teleporting again, he appeared above Sasuke and came down towards him, putting all of his momentum and weight behind the blow. Sasuke gritted his teeth in frustration when he blocked the scythe. That one blow almost cleaved him in half, regardless of his katana. How it still was intact was beyond him. Venturing a glance down the blade, he saw that it didn't even have a scratch.

'Kakashi-sensei… you might have been a lazy and porn addicted shinobi, but you sure as hell understood how to forge a sword.'

Glancing at the blade: bad mistake. In the next moment, Devalan landed a heavy packed punch in Sasuke's gut. Sasuke grunted in pain as he felt the punch, but his vest took the worst of the impact. But it didn't stop him from going underwater or at least sink into his knees before he could steady himself. So there he was, in water up till his navel, while the rest of him was above the surface, although it was unsteady. Devalan snarled.

"I remember you. You're Itachi's little brother. Tell me, where is the traitor? I would like to speak with him. And when we're at it, where is the Jinchuuriki? Tell me now, and I will grant you a quick death."

Sasuke just smirked. "Sounds fair enough. He is right behind you."

Devalan felt his anger rise. This boy hadn't changed. Still arrogant and annoying. He let out a low, dangerous growl.

"Do I look like an idiot to you, boy?"

"Well, I don't know what the bastard thinks, but to me, yeah, you look like an idiot. Rasengan!"

Glancing over his shoulders, Devalan's eyes widened. Coming at him was a Naruto with a Rasengan spinning and ready to go. He just managed to grab Naruto around the wrist, Rasengan one inch from his face, while he kept the pressure on Sasuke. He grinned.

"Nice try Jinchuuriki. But you will have to do better than that to get me. I take it your precious sensei's gift haven't helped you then? Otherwise you should have been able to predict my movement. It seems he taught you badly."

Biting back his fury at Devalan's insults, both the one directed at him and even more the one directed at Kakashi, Naruto smiled.

"You just don't look dumb, you are dumb as well. It was all part of the plan. Because now… you can't escape. Now, Sakura!"

Devalan's eyes went wide as the Rasengan in front of him dispersed into nothing and Naruto toook hold around Devalan's wrist with both hands, making it impossible to teleport.

"Nice work, Naruto and Sasuke! Hell yeah!"

"Shi... arg!"

Sakura's foot hit him square in the face, sending him underwater and into the ground, 10 metres below the surface. Cursing he reappeared, just to see three smirking teenagers.

"I swear... You brats are really annoying. Tell me: How did the Uchiha brat get behind me? Come on, I really want to know."

Sakura smirked. "It's was a slight modified plan Naruto came up with the first time we fought a jounin, six years ago. Back then Naruto transformed into a large shuriken and hid in the shadow of the real one. This time, Sasuke transformed into one of Naruto's signature jutsus; we hoped that you would recognize it from your fight against Kakashi-sensei. And we were right."

She narrowed her eyes dangerously. "Now, care for a rematch?"

00000

Kisame growled furiously as he lashed at the two spandex wearing ninjas. How they could look themselves in the mirror every morning and not run away when seeing their reflections were beyond him. Their clothes and haircut were grossing him out. Glancing upwards he saw how Deidara was jumping away from his bird that seemed to have been cut in half before it exploded. That was about all he could see as the white eyed boy attacked him again. He had to admit; these brats had improved. They were faster than before. But he could deal with the men. The problem was that damn girl. Her weapons were more deadly than before; in that sense that she used it in sync with her teammates. He didn't just have to be focussed on his opponents; he also had to see where he sat his feet as the water was filled with mines. He blocked one of Neji's Gentle Fist attack with his sword, grabbed Lee by the shin and tossed him away before dodging Gai's kick. He let out a snarl.

"Not bad. But let me warn you… I'm' stronger than last time we fought."

Gai furrowed his brow. If that was the case then he couldn't afford to hold back either. Neji seemed to have the same thought.

"Gentle Fist: 8 Trigrams, 128 Strikes!"

Eyes widening, Kisame stepped back. 'Kid got some moves. However, I won't be that easy to hit.'

He blocked two third of them while evading the rest. With one swift swing with his sword, he forced Neji back. He easily blocked a barrage of weapons from Tenten and dodged the barrage of punches Gai aimed at him. Kisame growled in anger.

"Enough of this nonsense. Water Element: Water Clone jutsu!"

Kisame's three water clones engaged Neji, Lee and Tenten while the real Kisame attacked Gai. For a time, all of them were equals. But the Leaf ninja grew tired while Kisame wasn't breaking a sweat.

Kisame smiled. "Time to finish this. Water Element: Water Prison jutsu!"

Soon both Lee and Tenten were trapped in the water prison while Neji jumped away, escaping the jutsu. Kisame grinned as he evaded another attack from Gai. He quickly swung his sword around as Gai again came from behind. Gai did see the attack but couldn't quite evade it as he was hit in the side. It didn't cleave him, but he felt several of his ribs break and his right lung rupture. Kisame smirked as he made hand seals while Neji supported his teacher.

"Water Element: Water Shark Missile jutsu!"

A shark made of water emerged from the vortex; they had seen this jutsu before but it was three times as big as it had been during their prior encounter. And seemed to drain a lot of water from the area. It flew towards Neji and Gai when it was met head-on by a dragon made of water. The dragon didn't neutralize it completely but took the worst of it, making Neji able to stop it with his Rotation. The explosion of water made it hard to see anything, but they all heard Kisame roaring with anger.

"WHAT?"

When Neji took a closer look he could see the water clones had been destroyed and Lee was supporting Tenten. Neji was pissed. Kisame just hurt his girlfriend. He narrowed his eyes dangerously.

"You're mine… cod face. You will pay for that."

In the next moment Kisame was spinning wildly around while cutting something that seemed like ropes made of water that was shooting up at him from the water. Just as Kisame thought it was over, he was swept off his feet by one swift motion by a leg that rose from the water. He growled as he landed on his back and the attacker's leg came down in an axe-kick. He grabbed this new opponent around the ankle and smashed whoever it was into the water. He stood up and crushed her, a woman with brown hair and eyes, with one swift swing with his sword. He growled as the sword came down at her.

"You will have to do better than that to… What? A water clone?"

Sure enough. The moment the tip touched her, she dissolved into water. Then a chuckle was heard.

"I could say the same to you. Water Element: Chaos Waves!"

Kisame barely managed to protect his chest when the torrent of water came. He blocked it with his sword, but he was still pushed several feet backwards. He narrowed his eyes when he saw the person standing behind Gai.

"And who are you? Another annoying bug?"

The woman smiled sweetly before jumping into the air, just to land in front of Gai.

"My name is Rin Arashi. And I will be you opponent from here. Get ready. "

00000

Asuma was growing frustrated. None of the attacks Asuma, Chouji and Shikamaru launched seemed to work on this guy. He had indeed his air set up in a way that resembled Shikamaru's and about as tall as Gai. He wore a ring on his right ring finger and Shikamaru had recognized it as the same ring Itachi used to wear. Aside from that, this guy was slender of build and wore a black mask with two holes to his eyes. But what really frustrated Asuma was that this guy hadn't made an offensive move yet. He had just blocked, dodged, ducked and jumped. And the faint light the chakra shield provided them didn't make it any better as it was hard to find an opening. Ino was currently hiding. As a medic-nin she needed to stay safe while the others handled this guy.

Asuma had had enough. Just as the guy landed again, he made some hand seals.

"Fire Element: Searing Ash Cloud!"

Asuma breathed a big ash cloud that soon engulfed the stranger; when the cloud was big enough, Asuma grit his teeth, and the cloud was set ablaze.

Fuuooommmm!

Ino appeared. "You did it, Asuma-sensei! You got him! Now we can help the others."

Asuma frowned. 'Something isn't right.' "Don't let your guard down."

Chouji looked confused for a moment. "Asuma-sensei…"

"You should listen to your sensei. Nice one, Asuma-san. But not good enough."

As the smoke dispersed, they saw the Akatsuki member standing there, completely unharmed. What was more, they just managed to see something sink into the water in front of him. Shikamaru grit his teeth as he knelt down.

"Ninja Art: Shadow Sewing."

His shadow expanded and made a beeline for the Akatsuki. Shikamaru's shadow lifted from the water and divided into several tendrils. The Akatsuki didn't seem to intend to dodge it. Instead he spoke in a calm voice.

"Ninja Art: Shadow Shield."

Instantly his faint shadow rose from the ground, blocking Shikamaru's Shadow Sewing. He chuckled.

"Nice try. But again, not good enough. Ninja Art: Shadow Coffin."

Chouji and Ino didn't have time to react. Their shadows sprang to life, enveloping them and, somehow, seemed to be cutting off their air supply. They fell to surface, slowly being suffocated by their own shadow. The only reason Asuma didn't get caught by the same trick was because he jumped into the air, thus making his shadow shrimp. And Shikamaru wasn't affected by the jutsu as his shadow was currently used to perform a jutsu, in other words, his chakra kept it under his control.

Asuma started to fell towards the water surface; it was just what the Akatsuki wanted. He smirked and just as Asuma could see his descending form make a little shadow on the water, it was too late. The shadow shot up and divided into seven tendrils. It wrapped itself around Asuma's legs, torso, arms and neck in matter of seconds before tightening, making it impossible for Asuma to perform any jutsu. But that was not all of it. The shadow had barely tightened its hold of him, making look like a cross, before the tendrils pierced his kidneys, liver, lungs, heart and neck. If Asuma could have screamed, he would. It hurt like hell. But that was still not all. Something was off.

The shadow retracted after one minute, releasing Asuma as it went. Asuma fell down, landing on the surface of the water. He stared at Shikamaru. He hadn't moved an inch, only his eyes moved. Asuma frowned.

'What's going on? Who is this guy?' "Shikamaru! Are you all right?"

The Akatsuki chuckled. "Don't worry about him. He is still alive. But I can see at your face that I need to explain something. The moment his Shadow Sewing made contact with my Shadow Shield, it came under my control. I suppose you could call it a reversal of the Shadow Possession. And now he is going to die."

Asuma stood up, but just as he did, he fell to the ground, trembling. The Akatsuki chuckled. "I think I forgot to tell you. That last attack… was lethal. You see, I can make my shadow poisonous. Of course it needs to pierce skin in order to work, but still. And there is more: It drains your blood. I suppose you have lost about ¾ litre blood."

The Akatsuki chuckled as he walked closer to Shikamaru. For some reason, Shikamaru didn't mimic his actions, but stayed put, his eyes slowly widening in shock and despair.

'This was not supposed to happen! I should have thought of a better strategy! If I hadn't been such a moron, we wouldn't be in this predicament now!'

The Akatsuki stopped five steps away from Shikamaru, raising his right hand. A shadow appeared on Shikamaru's throat, taking the form of a hand. The Akatsuki clenched his fist, making the hand on Shikamaru's throat do the same. When he spoke, his words sent shivers through the Leaf sninobi.

"Now, you die. Along with your friends."

"I don't think so. Fire Element: Mythical Fire Phoenix jutsu!"

A minor barrage of small fireballs flew towards the Akatsuki, making him jump backwards. But among the fireballs were eight kunai with explosive tags. They exploded pretty close to the intruder, making it necessary for him to shield himself with his arms, thus causing him to release his hold on Shikamaru. On top of that, the shadows choking Chouji and Ino subsided into their normal forms. The Akatsuki growled.

"My, my. If it isn't Weasel-kohai, Itachi Uchiha? How have you been?"

Itachi jumped down in front of Team 10, kunai ready and Sharingan active. It would have been a frightening sight if Itachi wasn't wearing hospital clothes. Itachi narrowed his eyes at the masked Akatsuki. His voice was filled with murderous intent and barely contained anger.

"So… you are my replacement? How have I been? A lot better if you had died after you killed our ANBU squad, the Death Dealers, Hyena-senpai. Or should I call you Shaka Nara?"

The Akatsuki chuckled as he removed his mask. "Correct. Although I'm surprised you are still alive. I thought I wounded you critically enough back then. Plus I set it up so that people would think you killed the squad. I was sure they would execute you for treason. Why didn't they?"

Itachi glared at now unmasked face. Shaka had changed. A lot. His eyes were now eerily red as his Sharingan and his skin was black as coal. He was about 1, 84 metres tall. He looked far from how he used to look. He used to have eyes the same colour as Shikamaru with dark hair in a pineapple-fashion. Also, his face used to look like Shikaku's except for the scars. But despite the resemblance to Shikaku, Shaka was actually the half-brother to Yoshino Nara, Shikamaru's mother, her being the youngest by two years. Itachi smirked, although it was slightly.

"Wolf. You remember him, don't you? He was the only one who doubted my innocence. Being my ANBU mentor and squad leader, he was considered as one of those who knew me the best. Therefore, his testimony had a huge impact on the trial. So the judges were forced to clear me for all charges. It took long for many to trust me again. But I think Wolf saw through your trick. Or his hounds did."

Something resembling fury, contempt and a little fear crossed Shaka's features. "I should have known. Wolf, our dear captain. I sensed him approaching along with 8 other chakras; thought he was bringing another ANBU squad. Should have known the others chakras were his mutts. Fighting one child prodigy with Sharingan and a genius with Byakugan was hard enough. I didn't want to fight another guy with Sharingan."

Itachi smiled. "So that's why you ran away? Because you didn't want to fight another Sharingan?"

Shaka snorted. "Hardly. But you know what they say when fighting a Sharingan user. If it's one-on-one, run away. If it's two-on-one, get the Sharingan from behind. You can probably see my logic. If facing one Sharingan user one-on-one means run away, what does facing two Sharingan users mean?"

Itachi glared, suppressing a tremble. He was far from being at the top, but he had sensed Shaka's chakra nearing the Hospital before Kisame's jutsu hit. Snarling, he got ready.

"I suppose this is where it ends. Time to finish what you started."

Shaka smiled. Not one of those smiles that would reassure you that everything would be okay. No, it was one of those smiles that told about true menace. "I agree."

But just as he was about to take one step forward, Shaka felt his ring heating up, although it was only for a second. He sighed disappointed.

"Sorry Itachi. But I'm afraid we will have to fight another day. Until then… see ya."

With that he sunk into his own shadow in one second and then the shadow was gone too. Itachi sighed. 'It didn't come to a fight. And if it had… Shaka would have won.'

Glancing around Itachi saw a cigarette dangling from Asuma's lips. From what Itachi could see, he was giving his former students some last words. Ino was sobbing, Chouji sweeping his tears away while Shikamaru just sat there, taking Asuma's words to heart. Itachi sighed and walked away to give them some space. It was only now Itachi realized all of the water was gone and they were standing on the muddy ground. Itachi's only guess was that it had something to do with the loud explosion and rumble that was heard 15 minutes ago near the eastern gate and wall, but he had paid little attention to it. Perhaps he should. Soon the streets were crowded with people, ninja and civilians alike as the civilians who had taken shelter in their safe rooms now were being evacuated. None of them paid them any attention.

Shikamaru picked up Asuma's cigarette and took one great heave. "I really hate smoke. It always makes me cry"

Asuma was dead. And as Shikamaru stood there, he swore that if it was the last thing he ever did, he was going to rid the world of Shaka Nara for good.

Itachi couldn't help but having a bad feeling about all of this when he saw Shikamaru's tears.

(AN: What Asuma says to Shikamaru, Ino and Chouji is the same as he did when he died in canon.)

00000

Jiraiya looked around him. The water was leaving the village, flowing towards the east. He glanced at Tsunade.

"Tsunade, get to the Hokage Tower. Summon Katsuyu and let her distribute chakra to the ninjas wounded by that water jutsu. I will go help wherever I can."

Tsunade looked at him, uncertain. "Sure about this Jiraiya?"

Jiraiya nodded once. Tsunade smiled and rose on toes, giving him a kiss on the lips. She chuckled, although her voice was laced with sadness and fear.

"You better survive this, you old pervert. You hear me? Make it through alive and in one piece."

Jiraiya smiled. "I will, Tsunade. Don't worry about me. Now, go."

She nodded and took off.

00000

Two scars on the right part of his face; one running down his eye. The other on the right side of his eye. Slightly spiky dark-red black hair, muscular build. A ring stating with the kanji for zero on it was placed safely on his right thumb. He was the Akatsuki leader. Right now he stood on the Main gate, watching the civilians being escorted to the designated safety spots. After Blackrose in her dragon form had smashed the eastern gate and wall, the water from Kisame's jutsu was draining from the village. He smiled. Things were going well. Soon they would have the Nine-Tails in their grasp. He chuckled slightly as he thought whether or not the Jinchuuriki would be able to recognize him. After all, he had changed slightly after their last encounter. Sound and movement to his right caused him to glance sideways.

"Speak, Zetsu."

The mantle opened as Zetsu popped up of the roof, although it was only his torso.

"_**Mordred has recaptured the Eight-Tailed beast. He is now safely locked away and ready for extraction.**_"

The white side spoke up, voice slightly excited. "It was one heck of a match, but Mordred's numbers got the better of him. And from the looks of it, things are going well here too. I got it all so you can see the fight for yourself."

Sagato frowned slightly before laughing. "Yes. Soon we will have the Nine-Tails too. Deidara seems to be having some trouble in the sky. But Blackrose is occupying the ANBU and other high ranking ninja. Kisame and Devalan are still fighting and Shaka reports that the major buildings, clan compounds etc, are protected by chakra shields."

He sighed before a cruel smile swept over his face. "But it doesn't matter. Now… it's my turn to join the fight. The others have been ordered to fall back."

The white part looked at Sagato, slightly puzzled. "Shouldn't we attack the Sand too?"

Sagato shook his head. "No. The Kazekage's spies would report to him as soon as we set foot in the desert. Fighting a man who controls the sand on his turf would be suicide."

"_**There wasn't much left of Murdgaki after that fight. We barely managed to find the hand with his ring.**_"

Sagato nodded. "Yes. I still wonder what went through that fool's head. Anyway, I better get going."

The white part of Zetsu frowned. "I will stay nearby and record it all. But perhaps you should take Shaka with you. He is your second in command after all."

A grim look crossed Sagato's features. "No. I will do this myself. Stay close if you want, but don't join the fight. The loss of the Rinnegan hasn't affected my chakra reserves. And I still have some of my brother's jutsus. But how, or rather why, I still don't know. And I still have my other Bloodline Limit, so I should be fine. Now, excuse me, I must concentrate. Byakugan!"

He searched with the Hyuugas' Bloodline Limit for a while before he found what he was looking for. A cruel smile settled on his lips. He brought up his hand to form the seal in focusing chakra.

"Found you. Fire Element: Demonic Teleportation jutsu."

And in violent burst of flames, he vanished.

End chapter five.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Ending an Era.

Tsunade stood on the top of the Hokage Tower. "Summoning jutsu!"

In large cloud of white smoke, Katsuyu appeared. The slug looked at the destruction around her and spoke.

"The village seems to be in trouble."

Tsunade nodded. "You could say that. We are under attack by Akatsuki. Katsuyu, I need you to attach yourself to every ninja and civilian in the village. Take my chakra and heal their wounds!"

"Are you sure Tsunade-sama?"

"Just hurry up and do it!"

The slug nodded and started dividing herself. Tsunade sat down in a special pattern and four ANBU arrived and formed a circle around her.

'I will protect the village, no matter what it takes. I swear by the name of Hokage!'

0000

Kisame growled furiously. This woman was good. She had dodged all of his attack and landed a kick or two. Pretty much all of the water had disappeared and to make things worse, the Hyuuga brat made it harder for him to fight. The other two youngsters made it impossible to get close to their sensei. The only good thing was that she was running out of breath while he still was going full throttle. Also, he hadn't used his full power yet, but he was considering it. It was then he felt it. He felt his ring heat up. Venturing a glance towards it, he saw the order: Pull back.

He smiled. "You're lucky. It seems we will have to settle this another day."

With that he took off, leaving his opponents panting behind, confused as to why he retreated.

Rin panted the most. Never had she fought with such intensity.

'I don't have time for this. Gai need my help.'

She walked over to Gai and started healing. But after 30 seconds, a white and blue slug arrived and latched itself onto Gai.

"Rin-san, don't worry about Gai-san. Tsunade-sama sent me to heal the wounded. Please, go to the Eastern Wall; there are a lot of wounded there."

Rin nodded as several more slugs came and attached themselves to Lee, Neji and Tenten. She smiled to the late teenagers, tapping her radio several times. "Let's go."

00000

Devalan snarled. He knew the order was to pull back, but the two brats with Sharingan eyes made it harder than he thought. And the pink-haired girl didn't make it any easier as she was skilled enough to cover the boys' blind spots while evacuating the civilians that came out of their houses. He needed to end this fast. He smirked, seeing how his opponents were panting slightly.

"I will admit it, you are strong. But it's time to end this. Fire Element: Volcanic Fire Explosion jutsu!"

The moment he finished talking, the soil around him started cracking and flames roared 20 feet into the air from the crevices, instantly setting everything in their path aflame if not burning it to crisps. But that was not all. If it wasn't enough that they couldn't get to Devalan before he teleported away with his Demonic Teleportation jutsu, due to the flames and heat, the ground continued cracking and spewing flames. The heat from the fire was so intense that the ground started smoking before the flames erupted. And the area the crevices covered kept increasing with an alarming rate. Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto jumped onto the roof to get away from the flames and debris that was produced as houses exploded. Team 7 cursed as they sat on the roof, panting slightly.

"Damnit! We need to stop this fire! If we don't, the village will be ablaze within two hours."

Naruto nodded at Sasuke's assessment. He frowned. "But how? None of the toads have enough water power to extinguish the flames, save Gamabunta. And he is out of the question in case Pervy Sage needs him."

Sakura frowned. 'This isn't good. If the toads can't extinguish the flames, then what? Unless…'

"I got it!"

The boys looked at her. Naruto was the first to speak. "Let's hear your plan, Sakura-chan!"

She smiled. "We don't need to put out the flames. At least not right away. What we need to do is to stop them from spreading. The ground started smoking before the flames erupted from it. It smokes because it's so heated up. The heat dries the houses. In other words…"

Sasuke caught on. "We need to cool down the ground so it won't dry the houses! Thus the flames won't spread so fast because they can't get a very good grip on the wood. Excellent idea Sakura!"

Naruto nodded. And he had an idea how to do it. "Right. Sasuke: I'm going to need your help. Clear a line to the right of the smoking soil. Thereafter, I need you to prepare your Chidori Sharp Spear. Sakura-chan: Make a crevice to our left and around the cracking ground so that there is a crescent form, with the opening nearest to us."

They looked at him, Sasuke clearly disbelieving while Sakura seemed curious as to what he would do.

Naruto let out a sigh. "Trust me on this one."

They nodded and were off. Naruto took a deep breath before bringing up his hands in a hand seal in front of his left eye while closing said eye. He saw this seal for the first time two years ago on his first mission after returning from his journey and training with Jiraiya. He ignored the screams, the flames roaring, buildings crumbling and the earth cracking from Sakura's blows. He sighed.

'This better work.'

He stood up and opened his eye, facing the burning area in front of him. "Mangekyou Sharingan!"

He felt the energy gathered in his Sharingan being released instantly. The effect was also seen as a miniature black whole appeared near the front flames, sucking them away; both them that already were present but also those that rose from the cracks. Focusing more energy to his eye, Naruto widened the space that was warped, until it was big enough to fill up the entire front from the smoking ground. It was time. Maintaining the flow of energy, he called to the others.

"Sakura-chan, Sasuke! Get the hell out of there!"

They both stood beside him seconds later, Sasuke preparing the move Naruto asked him to do. Naruto sighed as he deactivated the Mangekyou and brought his hands together into another seal.

"Shadow Clone jutsu!"

Two clones of Naruto appeared beside him. Looking at the clones, and panting slightly, he spoke. "Okay guys. Let's do it!"

"Right!"

Putting out their hands, the original Naruto started providing chakra for Rasengan. The second focused on the shape manipulation while the third concentrated on nature manipulation. He spoke, trying to get his breath.

"Sasuke: When I tell you to, I need you make my Rasengan explode with your Chidori Sharp Spear. It's loaded with the second nature I'm able to draw out, water. If everything goes as planned, there will be enough water to cool down the soil and moistening the buildings enough to buy us some time. Sakura-chan; I need to go down there as my clones aren't able to keep the jutsu active. This jutsu is at least as devastating as Rasen-Shuriken, so I would like to get out of there before it goes off for real. Bind this rope around my waist. The second before Sasuke's jutsu make contact with mine, I want you pull me back. Got it?"

They both nodded. The air surrounding them became very moist and soon water started flowing in midair with increasing speed. Sakura nodded as she finished binding a solid knot. Naruto looked at Sasuke who nodded in return. They were ready. Taking a deep breath and exhaling it all at once, Naruto jumped, descending towards the smoking ground. The soil cracking would soon reach the line Sasuke and Sakura had created around the circular area. Sakura held tight in the rope, ready to pull Naruto back. Then it came. The shout.

"NOW! RASEN-CYCLONE!"

Sasuke quickly ´tossed´ his Chidori, expanding it till it was about 30 feet. Their timing was almost flawless. Almost. The tip of Sasuke's Chidori Sharp Spear did hit Naruto's water natured Rasengan, but not without hitting Naruto in the right shoulder as it went, cutting right through it. Naruto's scream of agony was drowned by the roaring of the jutsu and fire. Just as the tip hit the Rasen-Cyclone, looking a lot like Rasen-Shuriken except that it was blue and a ring of water circling around it, Sakura gave one swift and strong tug in the rope, causing Naruto to fly backwards. Fortunately, Sasuke had deactivated his jutsu. But the result of the Chidori Sharp Spear and Rasen-Cyclone was incredible. A huge dome of water, 30 feet in diameter and also about that height, rose and soaked every building near it. The ground that had begun cracking oozed with hot steam, making it impossible to get near it. Furthermore, it seemed to draw the flames on the other sides towards it, keeping them from setting more ablaze. And it kept growing bigger, putting out some of the flames, although with some difficulty. Soon the dome collapsed, sending water in every direction. But most of it ended in a large hole that the Rasen-Cyclone created, forming a pool. And from there, the water spread through the crevices Sakura and Sasuke had made, surrounding the fire with water. Each crevice was connected, about 3 feet broad and roughly about 12 feet deep, so it would take some time to evaporate all of the water. And even then the ground on the other side of the water was soaked, thus delaying the fire from spreading if it should come to it.

Naruto, now back on the rooftop and clones gone, panted heavily before coughing. Sakura was by his side instantly.

"Naruto-kun, are you okay?"

He nodded as she placed a hand on his right arm. He winced in pain, but tried to cover it by panting. It didn't work as Sakura frowned before green chakra started surrounding her hands. She carefully placed it on his right arm.

"Naruto-kun… Don't lie to me like that again. Your arm is broken three places and show signs of beginning fractures at two more. Furthermore, you have broken two ribs and a hole in your right shoulder."

Naruto smiled sheepishly. "Sorry Sakura-chan. I think I miscalculated the blast range before I shouted. But you will be able to fix it, right?"

Sakura sent him a glare before refocusing on the task. "Heal it yes. In time for you to continue fighting in this battle… I doubt it. From the looks of it, the fractions were caused by weight. But what happened to your right shoulder? I couldn't see a thing from where I was standing. I had to stand back so you wouldn't hit the wall when I pulled you back."

Naruto glared at Sasuke. "Sasuke, you jerk. That freaking hurt! You have your Sharingan yet you can' aim any better? What the hell?"

Sasuke frowned. Naruto was right; he should have been able to see where Naruto was going to be before he actually got there. Then realization hit him.

'The Rasen-Cyclone…. Of course. As it consists of water-natured chakra, it gives him some extra weight. Not only that, but taking the heat from the flames and ground into consideration, steam was produced, making his form slightly blurry, negating the Sharingan's ability. Thus I wasn't able to predict where he would be.'

Sasuke snorted. "Yeah, I need to practice my aim. I was aiming for your head, trying to make you look better. And make you lose some weight. Not because of your non-existent brain but the hair seems to weigh a lot."

Naruto growled and tried to stand up, but Sakura's stern voice was more than enough to stop him. "Sit down… now. I'm not done yet."

Grumbling, Naruto sat down. After a couple of minutes, Sakura sighed. "There. I can't do more right now."

Someone spoke in her radio. She paled slightly. "We need to get going. Eastern Gate."

Naruto nodded as he inspected the makeshift sling his arm had been placed in. Sakura had put a splint to his arm and bound it tightly in place with gauze. He smiled.

"Thanks Sakura-chan. Now, to kick some Akatsuki ass!"

Sakura shot him a menacing glare. "No you won't. You are going to help me bring the wounded away. Sasuke-kun: You will add in any way you can. Let's move!"

Both boys chorused. "Yes Captain!"

And they were off, Naruto panting. Using the Mangekyou Sharingan and Rasen-Typhoon like that took its toll on him.

'Seems Sakura-chan was right. I don't think I will be able to fight more for the time being. And I have only just begun my sage training. Man this sucks, believe it.'

00000

Kiba was beyond frustrated. They had tracked down any allies they could find and then it happened. The Eastern Gate and Wall were breached by a monster. A black lizard of the same size as Jiraiya's and Naruto's battle toads. Its yellow eyes with the black slits showed nothing more than pure blood thirst. Nothing seemed to work on this creature. Once the water was gone, the clans had dashed towards the Eastern Gate alongside ANBU. The Hyuuga had informed them that the scale were so hard and thick that even their Gentle Fist couldn't harm it. All four scaly feet had claws on their toes about 9 feet long, slicing everything they hit into shreds. And its tail was just as deadly. The end of the tail had six massive bone blades that it could fold and unfold, making them like a combination of an axe and scissor. The smallest of those bones were 6 feet and the biggest 12 feet in length and roughly about 1 foot broad. To make things worse, except for its teeth the same size as a well grown man, it breathed fire and spit something that smelled like high concentrated acid.

Kiba let out a barrage of colourful curses before growling.

"Damn it all. Nothing works against this monster! None of our taijutsu moves, even Gentle Fist, seems to have even scratched it! We need help. Now."

He pushed his radio and spoke, as calm as he could.

"Request immediate back-up at the Eastern Gate! We have sustained heavy losses and many have been wounded."

With that he and Akamaru rejoined the fight, trying to stall the dragon till back-up arrived.

00000

Deidara scowled at his opponent. He knew the Sharingan wasn't something to mess with considering his encounter with Itachi years back. The way this guy and his bird was timing their combined attacks was uncanny. To make things worse, he was running out of explosive clay. He guessed that he would have enough for two small birds.

'Fall back it said. Easier said than done, hm. This guy is good, hm. Although not as tough as that damned Kazekage. If I ever fight him again, I will kill him, hm'.

Obito frowned. He hadn't managed destroying more of this guy clay birds and Deidara had been close more than once at hitting him with those flying bombs. If it hadn't been for his Sharingan and the sharp eyes of Taka to see escape routes, they would have been dead long ago.

The he heard a scratching sound in his radio. Morsing. Rin and he had agreed on morsing their messages, just in case the enemy should find their frequencies and thus listen in on their communication. And just as a precaution, they used a code they used when they both were on Team 7 under Minato Namikaze. His frown deepened as he deciphered the message.

"Eastern Gate… stop… under attack… stop… back them up… stop."

Obito glared at the blond and saw that he was a former Rock ninja. He had bad experiences with those and this guy wasn't any different. Venturing a glance to the east, he saw a monster on the rampage. He cursed under his breath before returning to glare at Deidara.

"No matter how much I hate this, I have to go. If we ever meet again, you better be prepared."

With that he was off, flying at top speed, ready to battle the monster. Deidara didn't know whether to be relieved or insulted. Relieved that he didn't have to fight this Uchiha any longer or offended because said Uchiha simply ignored him. Choosing a mix of the two, he flew towards the Main Gate. Glancing down he saw a circular area, 150 feet in diameter, burning and being surrounded by something that slightly resembled water.

'Looks like Devalan had some fun, yeah. Hm? What is that?'

Glancing to the west, he saw something that resembled a huge toad jump, fall, and then disappear in huge cloud of what Deidara guessed to be smoke.

"Poor bloke. It seems the leader was serious when he said he wouldn't let the Leaf see another day, hm."

With that he continued his flight for another minute before descending and landing safely on the Main Gate's roof. Looking around on the others, he saw Shaka Nara, the new guy, smiling. Never a good sign. Devalan and Kisame were snarling while Zetsu seemed indifferent.

Shaka was the first to speak.

"Leader has joined the fight. We are to stay out of it and stay here till he gets back. According to Zetsu, Mordred has captured the Eight-Tails. Once we are done here we are to retreat to the hideout in Hidden Grass."

Kisame chuckled. "Sounds fair enough. Who is our leader fighting?"

"_**He is fighting one of the Sannin. The Toad-Sannin, Jiraiya.**_"

Shaka nodded. "I see. Zetsu, could you sneak closer and record the fight?"

Zetsu nodded. "As good as done."

With that he disappeared, leaving the others in freezing wind.

00000

Jiraiya panted hard. His opponent had appeared in a burst of flames. He was a little taller than Kakashi was. Two scars on the right part of his face; one running down his eye. The other on the right side of his eye. Slightly spiky dark-red black hair, muscular build. A ring stating with the kanji for 'zero' on it was placed safely on his right thumb. His eyes were a mix between grey and blue. His headband was signified that he once belonged to Hidden Rain, seeing as the symbol had a large scratch over it. He wore the normal Akatsuki clothes. But what had startled Jiraiya was that he had introduced himself as Akatsuki's leader. And then their battle had begun. The Akatsuki leader had summoned a huge crayfish; Jiraiya had merely torn it apart by using his hair. This, however, didn't seem to shock the leader. As a matter of fact, he seemed rather amused. What he did next shocked Jiraiya to no end. The Akatsuki leader summoned a huge dog with some rods piercing its skin. And it had the same eyes as a boy Jiraiya one taught: The Rinnegan. Jiraiya in turn summoned one of his battle toads, Gamaken, and engaged the dog and leader of Akatsuki in combat. But every time Gamaken damaged the dog, its numbers kept increasing. Their battle led to a lot of destroyed building, but Jiraiya couldn't care less at the moment. He was currently smashed into an apartment complex and Gamaken had just vanished. Jiraiya sighed.

"This guy is tough. But that is to be expected, considering he is the leader of Akatsuki. But that doesn't explain why that monster has the same eyes as Nagato did. I'm glad I let the Key Toad out and did what I did. If Madara really is alive, it's not good. Not that I can see how, since Itachi and Kakashi should have taken care of him. But this feeling just won't go away."

He sighed again. "Well, now isn't the time to speculate about that. Time for Sage Mode."

(AN: What Jiraiya did was what he did in the manga.)

Sagato frowned slightly when Jiraiya came out of the apartment complex. His appearance had changed slightly and two old toads sat on his shoulders, arguing.

'So this is the so-called Sage Mode? I suppose I should stop fooling around then.'

Jiraiya groaned. 'Would they please stop ruining my entrance? First Gamaken and now those are making me deaf. But something about this guy is fishy. According to what Itachi told Tsunade, the leader of Akatsuki should have the Rinnegan. And this guy doesn't. What in the world is going on?'

"Honourable Sages, I hate to interrupt you. But I need your help against this guy."

The two toads just looked at each other with puzzled expressions before turning to the man standing before them. Fukasaku, the male toad, gave Jiraiya a quick glance. "Jiraiya-chan, this opponent… who is he? He must be really powerful for you to call us here."

Shima, Fukasaku's wife, began shouting. "Of course he is powerful! But Jiraiya-chan, I'm curious too. Who is this kid?"

Jiraiya eyed the Akatsuki leader. "I wish I knew. But before I summoned you here, he summoned a dog with the Rinnegan. And although he have changed and seems to have found a way to hide his Rinnegan, I think this is an old student of mine."

The toads both began shouting about the Rinnegan and why he hadn't said anything about a student. Sagato was growing impatient. Blackrose was soon to retreat and thus the diversion would be over. Besides… he looked up and saw three birds fly high in the sky, forming a circle around the moon. He chuckled before speaking, gaining his opponents' attention.

"Sorry to interrupt your chatter, but I would like to get this over with. Summoning jutsu!"

Several clouds of smoke later and Jiraiya was face-off with a huge rhino, a bird with a monstrous beak, one big ram, and a monster of a centipede. Jiraiya frowned.

"This could prove to be more difficult than I imagined. But I guess we need to fight him in order to solve this mystery."

With that the fight began. Shima immobilized the centipede with her tongue while Fukasaku and Jiraiya destroyed it with a combo fire attack. Jiraiya finished off the rhino by tossing it into the air by its horn before smashing it with a huge Rasengan. Sagato just stood there, following his every move. He didn't even blink as Jiraiya took care of Nagato's summons one by one. As Jiraiya destroyed the ram and dog with another Ultimate Rasengan, Sagato smiled.

"Seems I underestimated you. This could prove to be troublesome, even for me. So let us make a deal. You hand over the Nine-Tails and I leave immediately. How does that sound?"

Jiraiya stared at the Akatsuki leader as if he had grown two heads. Then he remembered the time Minato and Kushina told him that they wanted to name their son after the protagonist from his first book and how they wanted him to be his guardian alongside Kakashi. He also remembered how Kakashi smacked Minato when he told them how he was planning to seal away the Nine-Tails. He smiled.

'How can I look Kakashi, Kushina and Minato in the face when I join them in the afterlife? Or live with myself for that matter?'

Glaring at the Akatsuki leader, who still smiled, Jiraiya spoke. "You are either incredible stupid or just plain out insane if you think I would even consider handing over that boy to you."

Sagato still smiled. "I suppose that means no?"

Jiraiya nodded. "Yes, you buffoon. It means no. And even if, by the absolute lowest possibility that I would even consider handing Naruto over, there is a town full of shinobi who would stand between you and him."

Sagato eyed Jiraiya. His smiled changed. From being something near friendly, it settled into a cruel and merciless one.

"So be it. In that case, I will kill any man, woman and child that is stupid enough to stand in my way. A town full of shinobi you say? In that case, I will level that town with the ground."

Jiraiya stared at his opponent. This guy… was either insane or really powerful. Or in the worst case scenario, both. He needed to stop this guy.

"Even if you say that, you will have to go through me first. And let me warn you: I won't be that easy to defeat."

Sagato chuckled. "Excellent. I would want nothing less. Let's begin, shall we? Fire Element: Hellball!"

A sphere of compressed and rotating flames appeared in Sagato's right hand and he jumped. Jiraiya evaded it easily by jumping out of the way, but when he saw the destruction that jutsu caused, he felt sweat run down his face. Every building that was still standing after he fought against the summons, were either blown to pieces instantly or caught fire. The Akatsuki leader just stood in the middle of the crater, completely calm. Jiraiya frowned.

'This is not good. Such a high level fire jutsu and he isn't even sweating. I got to stop him now!'

Gathering his energy into his palm, he jumped. "Ultimate Rasengan!"

Sagato smiled. Just as Jiraiya's attack draw near, he held up his right hand and spoke. "Shinra Tensei."

Jiraiya was thrown back and he was forced to dispel his jutsu. Only one thing crossed his mind. 'What?'

Sagato laughed as Jiraiya was send through a building. "Come on Jiraiya; you surely can do better than that? If you can't… I'm afraid you won't last long."

Jiraiya stepped came into sight. "We will see about that. Fire Element: Fireball jutsu!"

Sagato shrugged before making seals. "Water Element: Water Wall jutsu!"

The fireball hit the water and a lot of steam was made. When it dispersed, Jiraiya was right in front of the Akatsuki leader. He smirked. "Gotcha!"

But when he hit the leader, Sagato dissolved into water. "Nice one Jiraiya-san. What I would expect from the Toad-Sannin. Water Element: Water Dragon jutsu!"

The dragon of water roared as it hit Jiraiya. Jiraiya cursed as he felt Shima being flushed away from his shoulder. Standing back up, he glares at the Akatsuki leader, who just looks at him, his face neutral. Jiraiya let out a curse more before trying to stare his opponent down.

'The more of his power he shows me, the less I understand. How can his summons have the Rinnegan when he doesn't have it? But then again, it could be that Nagato is just hiding it. Somehow.'

"You chose the wrong path, Nagato. I have to stop you."

Sagato chuckled, eyes slightly widening at Jiraiya's guess on his identity. 'So the fool hasn't realized the truth eh? Could give me an advantage. Might as well play along.'

"So you have guessed it then… Jiraiya-sensei? But stopping me will be more difficult than you think. If not impossible."

He raised his right hand. "Banshou Tenin."

Jiraiya felt himself being pulled towards the Akatsuki leader. But what shocked him was when he saw his left eye change. It turned white and veins bulged out. But it was only for a second.

'What? But… but that is the Byakugan's trademark!'

Sagato smiled as his palm hit Jiraiya in the chest, right beside the heart. "Shinra Tensei."

Jiraiya was tossed backwards and through another wall. Panting heavily, he looked to his left and saw Shima looking at him. She was worried and it could be heard in her voice.

"Kid, are you alright? And was it just me, or did that guy's left eye change for the fraction of a second there?"

Jiraiya gave a weak nod. "Yeah. I'm fine. But I don't understand this. I definitely saw the Byakugan- but he is no Hyuuga. So why does he have it?"

Jiraiya sighed.

"I need you two to get out of here if this becomes even more dangerous."

Both toads began shouting. "No way! We are not leaving sonny! You're going to need our help!"

Sagato frowned. Shaka had just informed him that Blackrose had begun retreating. In other words, he needed to end this fast. Although Jiraiya didn't wear a wireless radio, it didn't mean that reinforcements wouldn't come when they saw or rather heard the ruckus they were making.

'What a shame. I would have wanted to play around a little more. But I suppose things always go differently than what you want them to. A combo should be enough to finish this.'

"I'm sorry Jiraiya-san, but time has run out. So let's finish this with taijutsu? What do you say?"

Jiraiya was, to say the least, confused. Why would his opponent want to fight him in close combat? Hadn't he seen how easily he got rid of the summons? But Jiraiya also knew that if he were to solve this mystery, he would need to face this guy again.

"Shima and Fukasaku; I might die here. According to Itachi Uchiha, the leader of Akatsuki is able to copy every attack, even Bloodline Limits. But he also bears the Rinnegan. In other words, I have my doubts whether this truly is Nagato or the leader of Akatsuki for that matter. In order to find out, I need to fight him again. There must be a limit to his power. But I can't let you get hurt, so please retreat now."

Shima was about to protest, but Fukasaku cut in. "Ma, you retreat now. Jiraiya-chan and I will deal with this."

Shima looked outraged, but then she gave a nod. "Alright. But you better not be late for dinner! You hear?"

Fukasaku nodded. "Don't worry. I will be home for dinner. And so will Jiraiya-chan."

Jiraiya's eyes went wide. "Here he comes!"

Shima nodded and disappeared. And so the taijutsu fight began. They kicked, punched, jumped, blocked, and ducked and so on. Jiraiya couldn't believe that the Akatsuki leader could match his strength and speed. And then it happened. They locked eyes. At that moment Jiraiya realized why his enemy could keep up with him. His eyes didn't match each other. The left was completely white, with veins bulging out around the eye; the right eye was red with three black commas around the pupil. The Sharingan. At that moment, Sagato stroke.

"Gentle Fist: 8 Trigrams, 64 Strikes!"

The strikes hit their marks, but Sagato didn't stop there. He dealt several blows to Jiraiya's liver, lungs and heart. And just to make sure, Sagato blocked 64 more of Jiraiya's chakra points, causing said man to cough up blood and stop his chakra circulation. But that wasn't all. As Jiraiya started falling, Sagato grabbed him around the throat. They locked eyes for a moment, Sagato's now back to normal. Then he tightened his grip, crushing Jiraiya's windpipe and let go. Jiraiya could faintly hear Fukasaku shout something, but he couldn't hear what. He saw that Sagato stared down upon him as he fell, before walking away. Jiraiya had only one thing in mind.

'Is this how it ends? Have I failed everyone? I couldn't save and stop my friend Orochimaru from leaving… I couldn't protect my teacher… or my student. I couldn't save Kakashi. So much for the gallant Jiraiya. I wanted to make a difference in this world… just like the Hokages. Tsunade… Naruto…'

Everything blackened as he thought about all those things, images of the persons flashed through his mind. But as it almost became completely dark when he reached Naruto, one thing came to him.

'If I'm going to die… then I will see my dream come true… I will make a difference! For the next generation!'

Jiraiya forced himself back to life. He spoke in hoarse whisper. "Fukasaku… need… information… passed…"

Fukasaku nodded. "Alright sonny. Use my back. Hurry!"

Not wasting energy on saying thanks, Jiraiya felt himself being able to mould a little chakra. Focusing it into his index finger, he began engraving an encrypted message in Fukasaku's back. The flare of chakra didn't go unnoticed by Sagato. Spinning around on his heels and making a jump he managed to see something engraved on the toad's back before the toad disappeared in some debris. Feeling rage building up inside him, Sagato glared at Jiraiya and saw a smirk forming on his face.

"Your… secret… is… out… Nagato."

Sagato felt his fury peak. Taking one calming breath after making sure they were completely alone, he knelt down and hissed his response.

"Then it's just too bad that I'm not Nagato. You have crossed my path for the last time, Jiraiya. Farewell… Jiraiya-san."

Jiraiya's eyes went wide in shock before he felt Sagato's axe-kick to the neck, ending his life.

Sagato stared at the body of his slain enemy. Looking to his left, he saw Zetsu appear. Taking another calm breath, he spoke.

"I take it you got it all?"

Zetsu nodded.

"Good. I will meat you on the Main Gate shortly. Now, get out of here."

"_**Understood." **_

With that Zetsu sank back into the ground. Sagato closed his eyes, focusing his chakra in his right hand.

'This village has caused me trouble for the last time. Time to teach a lesson.'

With that he jumped high into the sky and clasped his hands together, his fingers interweaving, he executed his jutsu.

"Divine Judgement: IMPLOSION!"

Instantly a huge black dome appeared in the middle of the village. It kept expanding as it sucked everything in its vicinity into it, buildings and people alike. Of course it was only half of an enormous sphere that could be seen, as the other half was underground. The sphere itself was around 150 feet in diameter and it kept growing bigger. When it was near being 200 feet in diameter, Sagato teleported to the Main Gate, using Devalan's teleportation.

Just in time too.

The sphere exploded in a gigantic white flash. But it wasn't the explosion itself that was devastating. It was the shockwave. The shockwave was ten times as big as the explosion. And in matter of seconds, the once so proud Leaf Village was destroyed by the shockwave. Only the walls, Hokage Monument and some of the more sturdy building near the outskirts were still standing.

Otherwise, the only thing that told there once was a village here was the smoking ruins and gigantic crater that also smoked due to the heat from the energy that had been released. The crater was deepest in the centre, about 130 feet deep. From there, the crater smoothed out, albeit it was very slowly. Where the crater ended, it was about 15 feet deep.

Sagato, Kisame, Devalan, Zetsu and Deidara surveyed the destruction the leader had caused. Looking up in the sky, Devalan noticed four birds. One was the one that had battled Deidara and Blackrose; it was currently circling near the Eastern Gate. The other three were making a circle. Narrowing his eyes, he pointed at them.

"What kind of birds are they?"

All of the Akatsuki members looked into the sky. As if feeling their gaze, the birds turned and headed southwest. Deidara narrowed his eyes. Then he spoke.

"It's eagles."

Sagato nodded. "Let's go. We are done here. Prepare to extract the Eight-Tails. Zetsu… Notify Blackrose once the pests to the Leaf shinobi have pulled back to their home."

They nodded and with that the Akatsuki sped off, never looking back at the destruction they had caused.

00000

Hidden in the darkness, two figures stood on the treetops, their black cloaks flapping in the wind. They didn't seem to mind though. Their faces were hidden by black hoods and had been watching in silence as the battle unfolded and end in the destruction of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. One of them spoke in a low, emotionless voice.

"So it begins."

End chapter 6


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Aftermath and Rise of Darkness.

"So it begins."

Both of them were 1, 81 metres tall, but their long cloaks made them look taller. Both wore black cloaks with hoods that blew in the freezing wind. The only difference was that one of them had an intricate green system weaved into his cloak. It looked like several snakes were wrapped around him, but you couldn't find head nor tail. The words had barely left his mouth before the other, the one in the completely black cloak, chuckled in an emotionless voice.

"Yes. Just as you foresaw. And just as I have foreseen that you will surpass me within one year. And when you do… it will be the end of me. It's your destiny."

No response from the one with the green pattern. Or at least for a minute. "You seem sure of it, Sensei. But I have my doubts. Destiny… fate… nothing more than words. Besides, the Hyuuga clan in the Hidden Leaf Village have talked about destiny and fate for centuries. Surely they must have foreseen the Hidden Leaf's destruction."

To this the other just snorted. "Oh please. That clan couldn't tell you the weather of tomorrow, even if their lives depended on it. Please refrain from comparing your ability to see into the future with that nonsense the Hyuuga clan have talked about for centuries. Their eyes see so much, yet they understand so little."

His companion met him with silence. He sighed.

"Hades… you have greater potential than anybody I have ever met. Even more than me. And you have the most powerful and venerable doujutsu the world have seen since the Rinnegan… if not more… the Jigokugan."

(AN: I hope I translated it correct. If not, the English name should be Hell Eyes.)

The one with the green in his cloak was silent for a minute before speaking. "Even if that's true Sensei, it won't be enough to defeat you. The Jigokugan drains a lot of energy. And your amount of chakra is much greater than mine. And you're more experienced."

A little chuckle could be heard from the other. "True. But the quality of your chakra is much higher than mine. And unlike me, your amount keeps increasing. Add to that, your chakra control is close to perfect. As I said, you will surpass me; and that will be the end of me."

Hades was silent. Then he spoke in a calm, emotionless voice. "Should I kill you now then, Sensei? It would save us both some time."

At this the sensei laughed. "I like your way of thinking, Hades. I like it very much. But you aren't ready quite yet. When the time and circumstances are right… I will find you. "

Hades, for the first time, seemed to chuckle. "So be it… but tell me: Why do you say that the Hyuuga see so much but understand so little?"

The sensei sighed. "Their destiny or fate of hatred is something they have brought upon themselves, not something bestowed upon them by others. But to understand it, we need to go back in time. When The Scrolls of Secrets were given to the clans by the Elemental High Lords, each clan was given different scrolls in order to make them equals in power and health. All of the clans burned them on the spot. Except the Hyuuga."

"What does this have to do with the fate of hatred?"

"I will come to that in a moment, Hades. Always so impatient."

"No, not really. Just want to get this done with so I can resume my training."

The sensei chuckled, although he held no mirth in his voice. "Fine. I will keep it short. The Scrolls of Secrets contained guidelines that would ensure each clan's power, health and general well-being. If the clans had bothered reading those scrolls, the wars back then would have ceased long before the foundations of the Hidden Villages. But the arrogance of the clans stopped that. The Hyuuga did read their scroll, ensuring them wealth and power. And they still have it. But, as seen so many times before in mankind's history, the guidelines were misinterpreted."

He let out a sigh before continuing his tale.

"While the scroll did say the Hyuuga clan should be split into a Main and Branch household, it wasn't intended to be in the way that the Hyuuga have practiced for centuries. The way it was meant to be was that the Main household should consist of those that were pure blood Hyuuga. Of course this can lead to strife, but fact remains that if you have Hyuuga blood in your veins, the Byakugan will be present; and often just as strong, if not stronger, as those of pure blood. So those of pure Hyuuga blood should protect and guide those who aren't. The Branch household was meant to be those who came into the clan by marriage and their children. Of course, being wise as they were, the Hyuuga Elders interpreted it differently. And their interpretation still stands this day, making the clan what it's today."

He let out another sigh, this time sounding tired. "And now… it's too late for the clan to change that. They are stuck in their way of thinking."

Hades seemed to be contemplating the story. Then he sighed. "I guess it's to be expected. Mankind have never been good at sharing. Especially when it comes to power and money."

Hades' sensei nodded. "So very true. But enough about that. We have more urgent matters to discuss."

00000

Naruto opened his eyes with a groan. "What the hell happened? In one moment I was helping Sakura-chan and Katsuyu. Then… the monster retreated and… a huge explosion. Katsuyu wrapped herself around me, shielding me. Shit… my arm hurt."

Suddenly he could see the sky as Katsuyu unwrapped him. Groaning and cursing under his breath, he sat up and took a look around him. All colour drained from his face as he took in the devastation around him. Aside from the wall, a few sturdy buildings he could see and the Hokage Mountain, the village was gone. Fear welled up inside of him. And it showed as he spoke.

"Sakura-chan… Hinata-chan… Sasuke... Pervy Sage… Granny Tsunade… wha…"

He stopped as he heard a voice, just above a muffled whisper. It seemed to come from within the earth.

"Summoning jutsu."

The ground beneath him moved slightly and rumbled, causing him to glide downwards. In the next moment, a huge brown and green snake appeared from the earth masses, hissing as it went. When it opened its mouth, it revealed Sasuke, dirty and bruised with several unconscious sninobi. Team 8 was among them. Sasuke looked up, meeting Naruto's gaze.

"A lot of people are trapped within the earth masses and ruin. If we don't get them out, they are going to suffocate."

As he said this, several sninobi dashed past them through the hole in the wall, horrified eyes scanning their surroundings. Then they set to work. Some used Earth Element ninjutsu, others used shovels and spades they summoned from scrolls, and other used just their hands. Sasuke summoned more snakes to add the digging progress. Sakura and the Katsuyu slug that had wrapped around her soon joined Sasuke and Naruto. She sighed.

"We need to get the wounded out of here. The crater is still hot and the dust isn't making it any better. And we can't get into contact with Yamato. Any ideas?"

Just as she spoke, Obito came down with his hawk. It didn't land on the surface, but hovered about 5 feet off the ground. Obito spoke in strained voice.

"Most of the village is destroyed. Only the Hokage Mountain or Hokage Monument as some calls it, the walls and the more sturdy buildings along the outskirts are still standing; although it's just barely for the buildings. The exception is the Hatake Estate. The building and its grounds are, amazing and ridiculous as it may sound, completely intact. I have already taken Rin, Gai and his team, Team Ebisu and Team Asuma along with Itachi there. All of them are at the moment either unconscious or getting treatment. In either case, the Hatake Estate has two emergency rooms and medical supplies. And beds for the wounded."

He sighed. "Speaking of Yamato-kun, he is already working on establishing small houses and organizing tents outside the wall. He won't have time at the moment to do anything else. But what do you say? Can we make the Hatake Estate a temporary hospital?"

Sakura sighed. They had no other choice. "Yes. Obito-san, your hawk is the fastest. Can you summon more?"

Upon Obito's nod, she smiled. "Good. Summon as many as you can and establish a beeline transport for the wounded from the crater to the estate. Sasuke-kun, Naruto-kun: Use your summons. We will need all the power we can get."

Sasuke nodded and went to work alongside his snakes. Naruto looked doubtful for a moment before biting his right and left thumb. "Obito-san, I need your help. Make the other half of the seals with the opposite hands of mine. Your left to my right and your right to my left."

Obito nodded and they blurred through the hand seals before Naruto slammed his hands to the ground. Although he was very careful with getting his right arm out of the sling. Two puffs and clouds of smoke later, eight dogs and two toads sat in front of Naruto. One frog was yellow and hadn't changed much since Naruto was 16 while the other was orange and black. The only thing was that they had gotten even bigger; about half of their size two years ago had been added.

Naruto put his arm back into the sling and spoke.

"Gamakichi and Gamatatsu: Aid the ninjas in the recovery of the wounded and get them to the Hatake Estate. Obito's hawks will lead the way. If you encounter any fires, put them out. Sasuke's snakes are going to assist you. Pakkun: you and the others will sniff out any survivors."

Naruto fell silent for a minute. Then he made up his mind.

"But I have special assignments for you, Pakkun and Runner. I need you to track down Granny Tsunade and Pervy Sage. You think you can do that?"

Pakkun and Runner looked insulted. But before Runner could bite him, Pakkun cut in. "Don't worry pup, we will find them."

Naruto smiled. "Thanks. Scatter!"

And with that they were off. Naruto looked up and saw that Obito was heading west with five hawks, carrying wounded away, Sakura standing beside him. Just as Naruto was about to go help digging out someone, Sasuke placed his hand on his left shoulder. Shaking his head, Sasuke spoke.

"There is nothing you can do. You have drained a lot of chakra and with a broken arm, you can't do anything. Besides, you need to be ready when the mutts return. Let's go, Hissan."

Hissan was Sasuke's personal snake alongside his sisters, Hissini and Higini. Orochimaru had never laid hands on these three, not thinking them worthy to join his other summons. As such, they were outcasts till one year ago and there Sasuke had formed a new snake contract. So those three snakes were welcomed in the village. Hissan nodded and began gliding away, aiding his sisters and the Leaf sninobi.

Naruto stared after Sasuke on the brown and green snake. Ten minutes later, Pakkun stood in front of him. The pug spoke once Naruto nodded.

"We found the Hokage. She is still alive, but barely conscious. Three out of her four ANBU guards are dead. The only survivor of those four is that ink fighter, Sai. He is unconscious at the moment, but he managed to tell me that Tsunade used a vast amount of chakra to heal and protect the villagers and ninjas. Apparently not all civilians made it for the save locations, so she had to save them."

Naruto nodded. "Let's go."

1111

Tsunade looked up five minutes later when she felt Naruto approach. She panted heavily; healing Sai with her remain chakra had taken its toll on her. And then Pakkun appeared, just as she fell for the first time. She smiled, eyes swimming.

"Naruto… how are you? Is everybody okay? The villagers… are they safe?"

Naruto tried smiling. "Yes. I'm fine. The villagers are fine. But the village… Granny Tsunade… its gone. There are a lot of casualties. Among them are… among them are."

He suppressed his own tears.

"Rin-neechan called me over the radio one minute ago. Asuma-sensei is among them. We have made the Hatake Estate a rudimentary hospital. It seems Obito-san and Rin-neechan has been sneaking around while they have lived with us, Obito knew more about the mansion than we did. I hope that is okay with you… Tsunade-sama."

Tsunade nodded sadly. Naruto swallowed back his fear. He knew he had to say this, but he really wished he didn't have to. He didn't want to admit it, but he felt that if he could drag time, Jiraiya would come bursting, yelling what a fool he was for saying that he, Jiraiya the Toad Sage, was missing. But he knew it had to be done. But boy, he really wished he didn't have to. He bit back his fears and tears.

"Granny Tsunade… Pervy… no… Jiraiya… he…"

At the mention of Jiraiya, Tsunade's vision stopped swimming and she focused entirely at Naruto, her voice suddenly completely clear. "What Naruto? Where is he?"

When Naruto didn't answer, she stood up, rage and worry filling her eyes. "Answer me!"

Naruto didn't know what to say. "He… I… we…"

Tsunade's patience ran out. Grabbing Naruto around the throat with one hand, she began squeezing, slowly choking him. She screamed into his face as he began getting trouble breathing.

"WHERE IS HE, NARUTO? WHERE?"

Naruto grabbed her around the wrist, trying to pry her finger away from his throat. It was futile.

"Granny… can't… breath… Jiraiya… we…"

"We've found him, Hokage-sama! We have found Jiraiya!"

Turning their heads to their left, they saw Runner and Biscuit approaching at a rapid rate. Tsunade immediately let go of Naruto and spoke.

"Take me to him at once!"

Biscuit nodded and took off, Tsunade right behind him. Runner turned his head to face Naruto, who was coughing. "Are you alright pup? Shall I bite the Hokage for you?"

Naruto shook his head. "No. Her reaction is understandable. Runner… is he alive? Is the perverted sage all right?"

The greyhound lowered his head. "I don't know. Akino, or Coolio as we call him, got his scent before I got there. I didn't stay to investigate further."

Naruto smiled. "Thanks Uhei. Now take me to him."

Uhei nodded and led the way with top speed. He turned his head slightly. "Please stop calling me that, Naruto-kun. I don't know what kind of weed Kakashi was smoking when he gave me my name."

Naruto chuckled darkly. He had wondered about that too. Seven minutes later and they had run up Tsunade and Coolio. Five minutes later and they met up with Akino aka Coolio, digging into the ground. He moved when he saw Tsunade came running and bowed slightly to Naruto before taking off. Naruto gave a quick nod to Biscuit and Runner and off they were, running to places where they could help more. Tsunade delivered one swift blow to the area around a little hole Coolio had made, and the burned soil and stone crumbled, leaving a hole large enough for Naruto to stand in. And in that that hole was Jiraiya, face down, his legs and arms sticking out in weird angles. It would seem that none of Tsunade's slugs had made it time to aid and shield Jiraiya. Why he hadn't been crushed was beyond Naruto. Even Naruto knew when they pulled Jiraiya out of the debris and ground, although it was deep, deep down, that Jiraiya was dead. But that didn't mean he had to acknowledge it.

"Pervy Sage… wake up. Please… you can't sleep here. So please… wake up"

Tsunade bit back her tears as she turned Jiraiya, feeling how cold he already was, despite him having been engulfed in the ground. "Naruto… it's too late. He is gone."

Naruto's head shot up and looked at the person he saw as a grandfather. He couldn't believe it. The man who seemed invincible and to have an answer to anything, was dead. But when he saw Jiraiya's eyes looking into the sky without seeing, and the condition Jiraiya's windpipe and neck was in, reality hit Naruto. And it hit hard. Jiraiya had indeed passed away. He watched helplessly as Tsunade closed Jiraiya's eyes and placed his hands on his chest, making it look like he was taking a nap. Then she broke down.

"Jiraiya… you… you old… *sob*… fool! Why… *sob*… did you… *sob* tell me… to… *sob* to… leave your side… when… it was… *sob* where… I should… *sob* have been?"

Her wailing rose and rose, making her words unintelligible. But before Naruto could reach out and comfort her, she passed out due to exhaustion. Naruto, kneeling by the side of two of the three Sannin, realized what he had been about to do.

He let out a snort. 'Comfort Granny Tsunade? Comfort my ass.'

He felt his tears running down his cheeks.'Way to go Naruto, way to go. You just lost another precious person.'

Another. That word hurt more than a kunai slicing him.

'First Kakashi-sensei died protecting me. And now Pervy Sage gave his life. And for what? To save my sorry ass.'

Before Naruto could continue, he felt several chakra signatures approach. And they were coming fast. Standing up and turning around, he almost fell again. Four ANBU were heading his way, accompanied by Aoba, Genma and Raidou. One ANBU captain and three private. He stepped aside.

The ANBU captain, wearing a beige cloak, spoke.

"With your permission Naruto-san, we will take Hokage-sama to the Hatake Estate. It's the most secure place now. Please come with us."

Naruto hesitated, glancing at Jiraiya. Genma, seeing this and getting the unspoken message, placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Just go kid. We will bring him there."

Upon seeing Aoba and Raidou nodding, Naruto allowed himself to smile slightly and mutter a low thanks.

With that he and the ANBU headed west.

11111

When they arrived at the Hatake Estate, Naruto's heart sank even more. The living room was filled with wounded and medical-nin. So was the dinning hall. Looking around he spotted Team Gai and Team Asuma, kneeling beside the ones their teams were named after. Almost. Narrowing his eye slightly, Sharingan now covered behind his forehead protector, he noticed that Ino was missing. He caught Sakura eyes and she moved from the one she was treating. Glancing over her shoulders, Naruto saw that it was Shikala Nara.

Sakura finally reached him. "What is it Naruto? I'm busy right now."

Her words and voice were harsher than intended. But just as she was about to apologize, Naruto raised his good hand.

"No need to apologize, Sakura-chan. I know you're busy."

He glanced over her shoulders. Chouji was sobbing into his hands while Shikamaru sat with an unlit cigarette dangling in his mouth. From where he stood, he could see that Asuma's body had been covered by black blanket.

Then he remembered why he wanted to speak with Sakura. "Sakura-chan, where is Ino? And Shikamaru's parents?"

Sakura sighed. "Asuma-sensei's death has affected Ino very deeply, Naruto. She couldn't focus on her chakra, so I sent her to get some rest. I have given Kurenai-sensei some pills to sleep as well. She and her kids are sleeping in my champers while Anko-sensei's children sleeps in their chambers."

She paused before speaking again. "You should go get some rest too. Or at least go lay down. You can't do more than you already have. I will check up on your arm later, 'kay?"

Naruto nodded and they exchanged a hug. After that Naruto went for his bedroom. He couldn't believe that two hours earlier, he and the others had been having such a good time. Two hours ago, the common room had been filled with laughter and joy; now it was filled with the fallen and wounded. It was surreal.

And that moment, Naruto swore that no matter what it took, he would bring down Akatsuki.

'I swear… no matter how long it takes… no matter what it takes… I will avenge the deaths of Kakashi-sensei, Asuma-sensei and Pervy Sage. Akatsuki… this is the last time you will take someone who is precious to me away from me. If I have to sell my soul and body to the Devil, so be it. But I will bring you down, once and for all. Even if it's the last thing I do, I will bring you down.'

He reached his bedroom and opened the door into the room. What he saw surprised him. Ino was standing in his room, staring at his closet. Naruto couldn't stop himself as he spoke.

"Ino? What are you doing here? Are all right?"

Naruto felt like kicking himself. 'You really are a moron, Naruto. Of course she it not all right, you big blonde idiot! She just lost her sensei for crying out loud! Sasuke is right, you really are a dumbass.'

Ino suppressed her sobs. She wouldn't seem weak now. She had entered this room without knowing why. But now she knew. She needed to talk with someone who had lost a sensei and friend too. One on her own age. Sakura was busy with the wounded and Sasuke was still out in the field. That left Naruto. She spoke, her voice barely audible.

"I've been better."

She paused and stepped closer. "Is still can't believe that all of this is happening. Sakura told me to go to sleep, but I can't. Every time I close my eyes, I see their faces. Asuma-sensei's and that Akatsuki guy who killed him. I'm… I'm scared Naruto. I… I just wish that none of this ever happened."

Naruto knew exactly what she meant. He wished it to. He wished that he was just dreaming and this proved to be a nightmare. A nightmare he could forget the moment he woke up. Therefore, Ino's next words came as a greater chock.

"Please… Naruto… stay with me."

Naruto hadn't noticed it until now, but Ino was standing right in front of him. Not knowing what to say, he did what first came to mind. He kissed her. And she kissed him back. Soon, their clothes were discarded on the floor and they were on Naruto's bed.

For once, the two blonds wanted the same. They wanted to forget. If only for a small amount of time.

They were deaf to the double door bursting open and a feminine voice shouting.

00000

Hades let out what sounded like an exasperated sigh. "I see. So Madara Uchiha is still alive? I thought the Sharingan warriors, Itachi Uchiha and Kakashi Hatake killed him."

The other let out a sound that resembled a bitter sigh. "So did I. But remember, my spy only told me that the chakra signature was similar to that of Madara Uchiha. However, it was confirmed that the two others were Orochimaru and his henchman, Kabuto Yakushi."

Hades let out another sigh. "I see. So… what are we going to do about it? Shall I hunt them down and eliminate them?"

His sensei contemplated for a minute before speaking. "No. You just focus on your training. I will investigate this myself. If it proves to be Madara Uchiha, I will track him down, bothersome as it might prove to be. If not, I will leave our, for now, unknown friend be. And I will leave Orochimaru and Kabuto alone too."

He was silent for another minute. "Remember Hades. You should only fight opponents who challenge you. And let me put it this way: Aside from myself, I don't envy any opponent that might challenge you. One more thing before I go: Why did you bring those three Rain ninja back to life?"

A low chuckle could be heard from underneath Hades hood. "I have my reasons."

The other just sighed. "As secretive as always I see. Very well. Hades: Complete your training. I will find you when the time is right. And then… we will fight."

With that he disappeared in cloud of black smoke.

Hades stood there for two minutes after his sensei disappeared. Then he spoke with a cold voice.

"As you wish…"

00000

Katie, Sasuke's girlfriend, burst through the double door and ran through the hall. Thanks to all of the noise she made, she had all of the present's attention the moment she entered the common room. Then she shouted.

"Danzou has been selected as the Sixth Hokage!"

00000

"As you wish… Dracula-sensei."

Then he disappeared in a burst of green flames.

End chapter 7


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Howling Wolves and Kages.

Naruto woke when the sun rose. He smiled when he opened his eyes, although he was a bit groggy. 'Man I slept good. Hold on… why am I naked? Who did…'

Upon seeing Ino's nude form under the covers, all colour drained from his face. 'Oh crap. I just gave Shikamaru a new reason to kill me. And Hinata-chan… and Sakura-chan. Oh man, I'm so screwed.'

Then it all returned to him with interest. And that was some big interests. Jiraiya and all of the other falle, the wounded, the village… everything he knew and cherished had been changed in matter of seconds. And he didn't like the changes. Deciding to let Ino sleep, he found a new pair of boxers and went to his closet. But if he hadn't been so sleepy, he would have remembered that he took his last clothes from that closet yesterday. So he more or less blindly fumbled around in the closet with his hands. When he gave a knot in the back a push, the back of the closet slid to the right. Naruto blinked a couple of times as he looked into the secret room in his wardrobe .

"What the… WAAAH!"

He let out a yelp of surprise before fell on his butt. Calming his heartbeat, he took another glance into the, till now, hidden space. There, staring right back at him, was a snarling wolf. Or that was what he thought. Now, looking at it more closely, he saw that it was an ANBU mask. The face of the snarling wolf was painted with black and red, giving it a special eerie and murderous look.

Naruto stared at it in awe and let a low whisper escape his lips. "The ANBU Wolf… captain of the 7th ANBU squad, the Death Dealers… Kakashi-sensei."

He got that one right. He was staring at the mask Kakashi wore when he was in ANBU. And as Naruto looked closer, he saw the rest of the traditional ANBU uniform. But what caught his attention was a black sleeveless cloak with a hood. And the hilt of a sword. Knowing that he didn't have any other clothes to wear, he put on the ANBU uniform and took out the sword. Nothing out of the ordinary. But as he pulled out to reveal the blade, he gasped. The blade was still sharp as it was back in Kakashi's ANBU days. But what casued the gasp was the text engraved on the blade, the black letters clearly contrasting the cold grey steel.

Naruto read it out loud. "_Defender of those precious to me, arise, Black Angel._"

Naruto was painfully reminded of his broken right arm. Or at least it used to be broken. Thanks to Sakura, Ino and the Nine-Tails, his arm was now almost perfectly fine. Only a slight throbbing near the elbow. Naruto guessed that the pain he just felt was the last part of the bone being healed. Naruto sighed as he drapped the cloak around his shoulders and put the sword and ANBU mask by his side. It was only now that he realized he didn't fill the uniform out completely. Or at least the cloak. He began walking towards the door before deciding he could use a bath. So he quickly entered his bathroom, stripped and entered the shower. Once done, he quickly got the uniform back on as it was before and, just for good measure, put his right arm back into the sling, before exiting his chambers. He smiled sadly when he saw that Ino was still asleep.

'Poor girl. Sleep as long as you want.' He had barely closed the door before he groaned.

'And poor me. Now I have to explain to a genius, a girl who can beat the living daylight out of me, and a girl who can destroy my internal organs why Ino is in my bed and doesn't have any clothes on. Yep, I'm so screwed.'

11111

As Naruto walked down the corridor, he tried the sword. He didn't knew much about forgery or weapons, but it was perfectly balanced, the metal singing when he swung it. Lost in thought, he rounded a corner.

KAASHAAANNNNGG!

The sound of metal against metal brought him out of his revery. He looked at the man who was slightly taller than him and Sharingan activated. Itachi Uchiha. Itachi was wearing something close to a hospital gown. He smiled slightly as he removed the kunai he had blocked the sword with after seeing Naruto's expression.

"Do you plan on killing me, Naruto-kun? Feel free to take a shot, I won't stop you. I'm as good as dead anyways."

Naruto narrowed his eye as he with one quick motion brought the blade to Itachi's throat, edge biting enough to draw blood. "Don't tempt me… Itachi-san. I haven't forgotten what happened two years ago."

Itachi didn't even flinch when he had felt the blade on his throat. However, as he glanced down at the blade, something similar to surprise swept over his feartures as he read the inscription.

'Black Angel? Haven't seen you in a while girl. Where is your brother, Black Devil?'

"I came to tell you that they are waiting for you in the common room. The Hokage awaits you, Sasuke and Sakura-san in his tent."

Naruto nodded. "And you? Who are going to keep an eye on you while we are gone?"

Itachi chuckled. Naruto didn't trust him, but then again: Why should he? "I'm going to stay put here in the moment. It's not like I can go anywhere is it?"

Naruto frowned slightly before storming off. If he had been a bit more awake, he would have noticed the contempt in Itachi's voice when he heard him say Hokage.

00000 

When Team 7 entered the tent they saw all of the jounin were gathered, even Anko, Kurenai and Shizune. Danzou looked up from where he sat, a smile sweeping over his face as he sat there, the Hokage hat adorning his head.

"Ah there you are. Sasuke-san, Sakura-san, Naruto-san, please, have a seat."

As the meeting, and day for that matter, went on, Naruto felt his brow furrow more and more and his anger rise. He didn't like it one bit. Tsunade was apparently in coma, and as such, Danzou had been appointed Hokage by the feudal lord. From what Naruto could gather from the whisper in the background, the counsellors had partly blamed Tsunade for Akatsuki's attack. What was more, the jounin wouldn't really get a say in this, as it had been decided just last month that the Clan and Civilian Counsels should get more influence in decisions concerning how the village was run. And seeing how the Kage Summit was only one week from now, and the village needed to be protected while it was rebuild, memorial for the fallen and so was going to take place, a vote couldn't be made within a time frame of three weeks. And based on what happened after Orochimaru's attack years earlier where the Third Hokage was killed, it had been decided that if the village ever came in such a situation again, and the previous Hokage hadn't appoined a successor, a new Hokage should be selected within two weeks by the Fire Country's feudal lord. How said person had came to the village so fast was beyond Naruto.

Then came the matter of Itachi's trial. Naruto found his eyes go wide, if only for the fraction of a second. Danzou and the elders wanted him executed the next morning and many of the jounins more or less agreed. And then it came.

"You may leave. But Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno and Naruto Uzumaki, I would like to have a word with the three of you."

The three teenagers shot each other a look that clearly showed their confusion, before nodding. Danzou smiled.

"As you can figure out, we are now in a deep crisis. Many have lost their homes and such. For us to rebuild the village, we need time and money. And food. And seeing how the winter has sat in, we need housing too. Therefore, I would like to suggest that the Hatake Estate is…"

A chuunin with brown short hair burst in, shouting frantically. "Hokage-sama! Eagles have been spotted approaching, and fast! Over 20 of them! And they are big!"

Danzou frowned. 'Eagles? What's going on? Are we under a new attack?' "We will talk later. Dismissed."

The three teenagers nodded and sprinted outside, trying to catch up with the young chuunin. Naruto remembered him now. He made chuunin last year and was, if Naruto's memory served him right, one of Shikala's friends. Then he spotted him.

"Oi, Kahoyo! Where is the eagles coming from?"

Kahoyo turned around and pointed in the direction. "Southwest Naruto-san!"

Naruto jumped into the trees and looked. Sure enough, over 20 eagles, 22 to be exact, were heading their way. And from what Naruto could tell, they seemed to have spotted the Hatake Estate.

'What the hell? What is that in their talons?' "Sakura-chan! Let's head to the estate. We are about to get company!"

Sakura nodded and watched as the first eagle took a swing over their heads.

00000

They arrived just before the eagles came. A smaller crowd had assempled on the lawns in front of the estate's main door. Naruto nearly fell on his butt for the second time that day. Although it was late afternoon and the sun had begun setting, he could clearly see the eagles. All in different colours, but they all commanded respect. Especially one of them. The feathers covering its body were black and brown, while its tail feathers and head were white as snow. It had some very long claws, and its beak was strong, looking ready to snap an arm any day a week. Its eyes were amber, and held a hard edge of pride in them. 5 metres tall and its wing span, Naruto guessed, was about 13 metres. Truly a magnificient bird.

Shikamaru, who just caught up them, paled when he saw the bird. "Oh man, what a drag."

Then a girl's, or rather young woman's voice was heard from said eagle's back. "Don't say that Shika-kun!"

Temari, looking and wearing pretty much the same outfit she did two years ago, now just in white, sprang from the eagle's back and ran to give Shikamaru a huge hug and quick kiss. She turned around.

"Tesaki-sama, thanks for the ride. You can go back now."

Tesaki nodded. "I will tell Gaara-sama that the mission has been completed succesfully."

With that she took off, whirling snow, dust and earth up as she went before heading southwest.

Temari smirked as she noticed Naruto's dumbfounded expression. Even Shikamaru looked puzzled.

He was the first to speak. "Tema-chan, not that I'm unhappy to see you, but what are you doing here? What are all of these eagles doing here?"

Temari smirked upon seeing her boyfriend's expression. Then her face fell. "We heard what happened to the Leaf Village. Our spies surveyed the entire battle before heading back. They were originally planned to spy on the Country of Sound as have we heard rumours that the Hidden Sound Village is being reestablished."

They all frowned at this. Sakura was the one who voiced their thoughts. "Spies? We have no information about the Hidden Sound. Why wasn't this given to us? And what kind of spies could have slipped away from the village once the battle started?"

Temari sighed. "You weren't giving information about the Hidden Sound because we only heard about it less than a week ago. We wanted to know if the rumours were true or not."

Temari smiled a little before contining, this time in a hushed tone so only Shikamaru, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura could hear her.

"Gaara probably has the most efficient spy network the Sand Village has ever seen. Spies that can slip in and out of countries unnoticed and with minimal risk of getting caught. As a matter of fact, Gaara has spies in every country north from the Hidden Leaf, both on land and in the sky."

Shikamaru smiled as he figured out what she meant. "The eagles. They are his summons. But those are too big to go unnoticed, won't you agree, Tema-chan?"

Temari nodded before her smile fell again. "Yes. The eagles who are spies are smaller. As soon as he heard what happened here, Gaara ordered emergency supplies to be dispatched within one hour. You should have seen, him didn't give one shit about whether or not the council told him that it was impossible. He just said, and I quote: "_I don't have time for your old fashioned way of thinking or to explain my reasons to you. If I had time for such a thing, you would have been replaced by donkeys long ago." _

I tell you, the look on the councilllors' faces were pricelss. Except old man Ebizou. He was rolling on the floor, laughing like there was no tomorrow. And here we are. We have brought blankets, food, tents, building materials, throwaway radiators, medicine etc. After the eagles have been unpacked, they will fly back home and pick up more supplies. But I must go see the Hokage. I have information for her concerning the Kage Summit."

11111

Danzou frowned. Things weren't going according to his plan. With the help they were receiving from the Hidden Sand, he didn't have an excuse for taking the Hatake Estate. Of course it would be done under the pretext of Danzou needing a place to set up quarters for meetings and that kind of things. But of course, he only wanted the riches from the house to buy supplies to aid the city. What he really wanted was in the Hatake Shrine deep within the surrounding forest, but still within the city walls: The Hatake clan's secrets. Stepping out, he announced his presence.

"Ninja from the Sand, on the behalf of the Hidden Leaf Village, I thank you for your help. Bring my thanks to the Kazekage. Unfortunately, Tsunade is now in coma after aiding the village in the fight against Akatsuki. I'm the Sixth Hokage, Danzou."

Temari looked shocked at the news, but nodded when Danzou beckoned her closer, wanting to hear her message. And while she would never admit it, Danzou were more or less creeping her out. Once out of earshot, she spoke.

"The Kage Summit will take place in the Country of Iron. Each Kage is allowed two bodyguards. Now, I must go."

Danzou nodded his understanding. Once Temari was out of earshot, he called out. "Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno and Naruto Uzumaki, meet me here at 8 p.m."

The three in question just nodded.

00000

Itachi frowned. It was 8 p.m. and Danzou, Sasuke, Sakura, Naruto and Pakkun were walking into the forest that had been saved from Sagato's destruction. Naruto had finally discarded the sling and was wearing a traditional jounin uniform. Someone must have told him what Kakashi would have said if Naruto was to wear an ANBU uniform. From where Itachi stood, he could see Danzou was flanked by four ANBU. Two ANBU members and two from Root. One of the ANBU signatures he recognized. That was good. Looking at his clothes, he smiled.

'Well Kakashi-senpai. It looks like this uniform will see battle one more time. The Werewolf of the Hidden Leaf shall howl towards the moon again, causing its prey's blood to freeze in horror.'

He put the ANBU wolf mask on his face before exiting the mansion, sneaking after the ones walking into the forest.

00000

Naruto stared, his mouth slightly agape. In front of him was a green temple or shrine, in the middle of a circular clearing. The clearing was about 100 feet in circumference and the temple was old. Several of the pillars had cracks in them, but it somehow managed to keep standing. The gate's doors were made of iron, now green too with verdigris, two swords carved into each gate. 21 steps led to the gate, and made the foundation all the way round. The shrine highest top was 50 feet in the air, but its circumference wasn't wider than the Leaf 13 plus senseis would be able to dance around it if they took each other by the hands. If it hadn't been for Pakkun, they would never have managed to get here. One: The teenagers didn't know it exited. Two: This part of the forest had been filled by booby-traps. None of the teenagers was fond of the idea of having Danzou looking into the Hatake clan's most sacred place, but they couldn't deny their Hokage. He had told them that with the scroll lying in that shrine, they could return the Hidden Leaf back to its former glory and strength in record time.

Danzou smiled in satisfaction. 'At last. The Hatake clan's secrets. Sakumo… what did you hid from me?'

"Naruto-san, Sasuke-san, Sakura-san, you can step back now. ANBU… keep your guard up."

Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke and Pakkun, who chose to stay, frowned before stepping back to the edge of the clearing. The ANBU and Root took up positions on each side of Danzou as they approached the temple. But just as they were about to step onto the final step, a howl broke the evening's silence. The howl of a wolf. Naruto had heard wolves howl before, but this was different. He could almost feel the blood thirst and fury. He felt like his blood had frozen. Looking around frantically, he soon found the source. Standing on top of the temple's foundation, almost face to face with Danzou, stood a huge grey wolf, baring its fangs at Danzou as it growled.

"Stand down human. You have no business here. Leave… now."

It was the biggest wolf Naruto had ever seen. It was as huge as Gamakichi was two years ago, when Naruto was sixteen years old. All of its hair stood upright, from ears to the tip of its tail. But what really shocked, and slightly frightened Naruto, was its eyes. Red feral eyes, with three scars running down the left and four down the right, were looking straight into Danzou's one visible eye.

Danzou frowned and looked over his shoulder. The three teenagers had baffled expressions adorning their faces and were rigid while the brown pug looked like he wished to be any other places than where he was. One of the Root members spoke in a calm voice.

"Step aside, wolf. Or we will use force."

The wolf turned its burning gaze at the Root member, bristling even more, before snarling. "If it is a fight you want, human, so be it. But I think you would want to rethink that idea."

Before any of the humans could make a move, a feral snarling and growling could be heard all over the clearing. Naruto paled slightly. Wolves, with green and yellow eyes, stepped out from the tree line, fangs bared and ready to a bite off human flesh. Although smaller than the grey one, they were bigger than your average wolf. And as Naruto's eye wandered, he felt all colour leave his face.

'They are everywhere! Even on the roof of the temple! And beside the grey one, and all around us! There must be, at least, 50!'

Naruto was close to the exact number. 54 black and one grey, the alpha. 55 wolves baring their fangs at them, ready to strike in a heartbeat. Naruto looked down as he heard Pakkun whimper and felt him tremble against his legs. Kneeling down and taking the trembling pug into his arms, he scratched Pakkun behind the ears, hoping to soothe him. If he had tried this any other day, Pakkun would have bitten off his hand. But as it was right now, Pakkun wouldn't do anything. He was too scared. Naruto spoke in a hushed voice, being barely audible for his two teammates.

"Pakkun… those wolves… who and what are they? Where did they come from?"

Pakkun whimpered again, looked at the wolves, shuddered, before whispering, fear evident in his voice.

"Simply put: They are demons. Although nowhere near as powerful as a Bijuu, they are not to be messed with. Even if you summoned all of your battle toads, these wolves would give them more than a run for their money. I doubt that if they fought, even if the toads should emerge victorious, the toads would ever be able to fight again. Like the toads, these wolves have their own ninjutsu, genjutsu and taijutsu. You see the grey one? It's the alpha male, our in your tongue, the leader of the tribe, Lupus-sama."

Naruto's eye widened. Looking at his teammates, he saw his reaction mirrored in Sakura's and Sasuke's faces. He had to ask.

"Demons? Then what are they doing here? Or better yet: Why are they here?"

Pakkun shivered. "They were summoned. Some clans had contracts with demons. Now, if you will excuse me, I must go."

Before Naruto could respond, Pakkun disappeared in a white cloud of smoke. Trying to keep the wolves in his line of sight by uncovering the Sharingan, he focused on the Hokage and the alpha male, Lupus.

Danzou spoke in calm voice, concealing his anger, as he looked the wolf right into the eyes. "I'm Danzou, the Sixth Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Now… step aside."

Lupus crouched into something that resembled a battle stance, as if ready to pounce, growling.

"You could be God himself for all I care, old man. You're not setting your feet inside this temple. Sakumo-sama instructed that only those of Hatake blood and who has passed the age of 18 shall be allowed into the temple. And his son, Kakashi-sama instructed the same. Seeing as you are not of Hatake blood, you shall not enter. Besides… you reek of deception and treachery. This is your final warning: Leave now or we will show no mercy."

Danzou was furious, although it didn't show. 'Damn you both to hell, Sakumo and Kakashi. Even in your graves you manage to mock me by thwarting my plans.'

"Very well. I see that the battle is lost. For now. But this isn't over yet."

With that he turned around and walked away, ignoring the teenagers as he passed them. All of the wolves growled before disappearing in clouds of grey and black smoke. The Root members soon followed Danzou and so did one of the ANBU. The other stayed where he was. Sasuke was the first to break the silence.

"The howl that came before the wolves appeared… what was it? It sounded like a wolf, yet it didn't."

A low, sad chuckle was heard from behind. "That… was the Werewolf Howl. Perhaps the most feared battle cry in history. And you're quite right… it wasn't the wolves who howled. It was me."

All of them turned around to face the unexpected newcomer. Naruto gasped. He was wearing the same ANBU uniform Naruto had tried earlier that day. Sword, cloak, mask put together: Truly a frightening sight. The ANBU seemed to shift uncomfortable at his feet. And his predicament was clear as he spoke.

"The Werewolf Howl. Only used by Wolf, the captain of the group of ANBU nicknamed the Death Dealers. That mask… it's impossible."

Itachi chuckled as he removed the mask, earning shocked gasps. "As a former member of that squad, I have heard it numerous times. I believe you should have it heard it too… Yamato."

Yamato sighed as he removed his mask. "Once. When I filled in for you. Why are you wearing those clothes, Itachi-san? You were Weasel, not Wolf."

Itachi smiled sadly before a grim look swept over his face. "Since Danzou is the Hokage now, I'm as good as dead. I intend to make a run for it. Out there or together with you… the result will be the same: I'm bound to run into Akatsuki. Besides: I have an old score to settle."

Naruto was about to protest, but seeing Sakura's face, he nodded his accept. He didn't like the idea of Itachi running around like that when he felt that Itachi should be executed for his crimes, act or not, but he understood his reasoning. They smiled, the guys forced, wishing him good luck. Then Itachi was off.

11111

The ground and trees exploded violently, showing the usually emotionless Hades' fury.

End chapter 8.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Shadow of War.

Dracula was amazed. Simply amazed. He stood on a branch, watching silently as Hades trained. Hades was hovering three feet over the ground, legs crossed and hands resting on his knees, palms up. But that wasn't what impressed him. Hades was surrounded by five walls that were about 20 feet tall. But they weren't normal walls. From Hades and out they were like this: one was made of fire, one of water, one of earth, one of whirling winds and the last of lightning erupting from the ground.

He narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked closer. Then they went wide. All five walls were shifting in elemental types in matter of seconds. Each time so that there would be one of each element.

'Hades… you're truly a genius. It took me months to master the transformation of the elements. You… you have it nearly mastered within two weeks.'

"Hades… stop for now. I have information I want to share and discuss with you."

Hades turned around in midair, but kept the walls going. He spoke with a voice devoid of any emotion. "What is it?"

Dracula lowered his hood, revealing his face. His skin was the same colour as a corpse. He looked like he was in his middle twenties. He had long black hair that was arranged similar to Neji's and Itachi's. His eyes were completely red, except for the pupils. They were merely vertical slits, but the black slits were completely visible against the red.

"One unknown man… he is defintitely an Uchiha. Moreover, he wears the same clothes Madara did last time my spies saw him, rihgt before he fought Itachi Uchiha and Kakashi Hatake. Moreover, he uses the same time/space ninjutsu Madara used. But… his chakra is slightly different. And he is quite elusive. In other words, I still don't know whether or not he is Madara."

All of the elemental walls disappeared, and both trees and ground around Hades exploded as he let his fury flow.

"You disturbed my training for that?"

That was all the warning Dracula got. In one second Hades was sitting in midair, the next he was standing right infront of Dracula. Dracula barely blocked the incoming edge-of-hand blow aimed for the side of his throat. Only two things went through Dracula's mind.

'He is fast. And… DAMN!'

He now saw that the blow had been a diversion for Hades' true attack. Hades had been standing on only his left foot when he landed and pulled his right leg back. When he saw realization hit his sensei he leapt slightly from the ground and moved his right leg in a sweeping manner.

The kick was unavoidable and unblockable and Dracula took the full brunt of Hades kick, foot covered in a light black leather boot without opening.

(AN: Imagine boots like Legolas' from The Lord of the Rings movies then you pretty much have an image.)

Dracula was send flying through several trees before hitting the ground, quite hard. Dracula growled in his mind.

'Kid knows how to kick someone, I will give him that. But I can't fight him now; it isn't time yet. But that doesn't mean I will accept being kicked before I could give him all of the information I wanted. But the last thing I need is for him to use that doujutsu of his, the Jigokugan.'

He looked up as he felt Hades' cold aura approach. 'Sorry Hades, but it seems I will need to teach you a lesson.'

He quickly stood up, just in time to catch Hades by the ankle and threw him into the sky. Then took off into the sky, passed Hades as he went before stopping in midair diving towards Hades and delivering an axekick to his student's chest. A grunt of pain was heard from Hades before he flew uncontrolled towards the ground. Dracula sped towards the ground too as Hades hit the soil, sending a cloud of dust into the sky. Dracula barely managed to dodge a ball of green fire as he dove straight through the dust cloud. He landed without a sound on the earth, looking around for his student. He knew that kick or the impact alone wouldn't be enough to defeat Hades.

'Speaking of Hades… where is he? He isn't in the crater. So where could he be? I don't feel his presence behind me, to my left or right, front or below. So that leaves… above.'

He looked up and frowned. Hades wasn't there either. 'The kid is good. To be able to mask his Death Chakra like that. And this isn't an illusion I already checked for that.'

"Come on out Hades. I know you're here."

"My pleasure. Demon Fist: … Palms!"

Dracula was deaf to the number of blows, but it was high. And the voice had came right behind him. He spun around, took a stance that resembled that of the Hyuuga clan's and countered Hades' onslaught the only way he knew. "Demon Fist: 9 Trigrams, 251 Palms!"

They exchanged blows, Dracula blocking all of Hades' blows without suffering any of the effects the blows could have. Almost every blow. Hades allowed himself to smile a little, and Dracula saw it, despite the hood.

'Not good…'

"… 254!"

The three blows pretty much hit their marks, although Dracula managed to avoid to be hit directly as they only grazed him. But he barely managed to block the kick for his chest, sending him flying backwards. Using his chakra to negate gravity, Dracula flew around the tree and towards Hades. They caught each others' hands, fingers locked as if they tried to crush the others'. Green flames flared to life around their hands, the power making the ground smoke and trees split.

Dracula felt himself overpowering Hades as he had more Death Chakra to put into their stalemate. He would win as he did the last time. Until he caught sight of the green light starting to flare to life within Hades' hood. The sign that Hades was about to activate the Jigokugan.

'Shit... if I'm this close to him when he activates it… I won't die but it won't be pretty either.'

"Hades, stop. I have more information. And that is what I wanted to speak with you about."

The green within the hood died down and both of them stopped the flames surrounding their hands simultaneously.

They each took a step back. Hades spoke in a much calmer tone. "I see. So… what is it?."

Dracula sighed before he shared his information.

00000

Shikamaru sat opposite his dad in their tent, playing shogi. Shikamaru had never beaten his dad in the damned game. But it wasn't what was on his mind for the time being. Taking out a cigarette from the box Asuma had on him yesterday, he put it in his mouth before taking out the lighter and igniting it. After inhaling, he made his move, capturing one of his dad's pieces.

"So dad. What do you know about Shaka Nara? Mom's brother?"

Shikaku sighed as he took another one of Shikamaru's pieces. He really didn't want to talk about his brother-in-law but his son needed to know what he was dealing with.

"Shaka Nara… your mother's older half-brother by two years. Well, I guess it can't be helped. From what I heard, he was the one who killed Asuma Sarutobi, correct?"

Shikamaru inhaled again, took out the cigarette and gave it a slight flick, causing some ash to fall from it, before exhaling the smoke. "Yes."

Shikaku nodded. "I guess you need to know about him then don't you? In order for you to come with a plan?"

Upon seeing his nod as he made a move, Shikaku let out another sigh.

"Shaka Nara… I guess the best way to describe him would be to say it like this: He is the Nara version of Itachi Uchiha. A child prodigy, pride of the clan. Graduated the Academy at the age of 6, chuunin at age 8, jounin when 14 and ANBU lieutenant at 15. He took our shadow powers to a whole other level, but only him. He must be 43 now. We assumed that he was killed by Itachi but as we have seen now, we were gravely mistaken. Itachi had just been promoted captain back then, so it must be ten years ago Shaka went missing. He was the ANBU mentor of the man, or boy, that later would be his ANBU captain, Kakashi Hatake. As a matter of fact, those two were close friends. They were as close as you and Chouji. You rarely saw one without the other. That was… until Itachi Uchiha joined the ranks. When Itachi joined, Shaka grew cold and distant. I don't think Shaka was jealous of the attention Kakashi put into teaching Itachi the way of the ANBU. You see, Orochimaru had already taking interest in Itachi back then. Orochimaru and Shaka were close friends too. But if the rumours about them are true is something I don't know the answer to."

Shikamaru looked up. "Rumours?"

Shikaku cursed in his mind. Why did he mention that? "Yes, rumours. Shortly after the deaths of the Death Dealers, new information saw the day. Orochimaru had defected from the village some few years prior. As it turned out, Orochimaru and Shaka had held secret meetings for some time before that. Rumours state that they both had been researching jutsus to make them immortal. And if that wasn't enough, rumours go that Shaka had skill, or hopefully, luck enough to get past the sentinels guarding the Hatake Shrine. Without having to fight. What he could have wanted in there is beyond me. Perhaps the Hatake clan's secrets. What we do know for certain is that Kakashi, after the Death Dealers were slaughtered, informed the Hokage that one of his homemade swords, Black Devil, had been stolen."

He paused. "Shikamaru, whatever you and your team are up to, I will give you this advice: Don't underestimate Shaka. He won't fall for your traps easily. It will take skill with genjutsu, ninjutsu and taijutsu for you to even have a chance of defeating him. Make sure your team got all of that. Otherwise you will end up dead."

Shikamaru puffed on the last of his cigarette before taking it out of his mouth and flicking it into the ashtray were two other stumps already where. One for each round they had played tonight. He exhaled, blowing out smoke. Then he smiled.

"Thanks dad. I will make sure to heed your advice. But… you would do wise in not underestimating me and my friends either."

He moved a piece along the edge of the board. His smiled widened. "You lose."

Shikaku glanced at his son before looking at the board. His eyes widened in surprise. His son had indeed beaten him.

He smiled. 'It seems the next generation soon will take over. The last person to beat me in this was Kakashi. And that was a close call. Heh, I must be growing old.'

"So Shikamaru, do you know who the king is?"

Shikamaru frowned before lighting up in a broad smile. "Yeah. Troublesome as they are to protect, it is the new generations of shinobi. Asuma was the coolest grown-up I met as a child. I would get into a lot of mess and he would always pull me out of it. Now, it's time for me to take that responsibility and be there for his kid."

Shikaku smiled. His son had grown into a fine young man, one that he and his wife could be proud of. Of course a lot of that was thanks to Asuma. And for the briefest moment, he saw the possible downfall of his brother-in-law. But he also realized that Shikamaru and his teammates alone wouldn't be enough to take Shaka down. Pushing those thoughts aside, he put the pieces back in position.

"Care for a rematch?"

Shikamaru shook his head. "No. I think I will check up on Ino and the others. See ya later dad."

With that he walked out of the tent. Shikaku looked after his son retreating form, before speaking in a low voice.

"Be careful and good luck son. You will need it to take on Shaka."

00000

Sagato felt his blood boil with fury. They had been tricked by the Eight-Tails' Jinchuuriki. While Mordred thought he had the real Jinchuuriki, it turned out to be a ruse. Now, after 36 hours of extracting the beast, they were now staring at a tentacle that seemed like it belonged to a huge octopus. Looking at the astral projection on the statue's right middle, now restored after Kakashi's attack on it, he spoke, his voice distorted.

"It seems like you messed up, Mordred. But no matter. Release a level two army."

He shifted his gaze slightly.

"Shaka and Kisame: You will team up in the hunt for the Eight-Tails. Zetsu will keep you updated on his whereabouts. Dismissed." 

Three different and distorted voices spoke as one. "Understood."

The astral projections flared before disappearing. And the statue soon vanished in a big cloud of smoke, leaving the cave completely empty. Aside from the tentacle.

00000

Hades contemplated what Dracula had told him. Then he spoke. "Are you sure about this?"

Dracula just nodded, looking at the moon. "Yes. I'm afraid I am. Whoever this Uchiha guy is, he intends to carry out Madara's plan: The Moon's Eye Plan, I believe it is called. In order for that plan to succeed, he needs to revive the Ten-Tails. But that can only be done if all nine Bijuu are captured."

Hades was silent for a minute, contemplating. "Dracula-sensei, tell me this: If the nine Bijuu the world knows of origin from you, then what about the Ten-Tails? What did you leave out of your tale?"

Dracula sighed as he closed his eyes. "Quite simple actually. You remember what I told you about how they were born from nine pools of my blood? Well, on that day it was the intention that the blood should be destroyed. Unfortunately, one from my clan decided to save time by gathering the pools into one big pool. That gave birth to the Ten-Tails, a fusion of all nine Bijuu that the present humans know about. It was only after the Sage of Six Paths finished studying under me we got the Ten-Tails under control. Although the Sage was the one to found modern ninjutsu, we were some who had knowledge about the natures of the elements long before him. The strongest of us could even use it in battle, but not to the same extent of modern sninobi. The Sage sealed the Ten-Tails into himself, causing the ninjas to worship him as a god. It was soon after the sealing he decided to challenge me, because the world saw me as a demon on par with the Ten-Tails. He lost the battle, but I let him live. I still killed him, but not in the way people think. He knew the seal restraining the Ten-Tails would break the moment he died. Knowing this, he called me to his deathbed. We both knew that if the Ten-Tails was to return to the world, it would cause mayhem across the world. The best option would be to seal it into one from our clan. A member who already had passed the border of life and death and back again and then keep said member alive for all eternity. But I was out of the question, seeing as I was its origin. And no other than me was strong enough to contain it. Realizing this, we came to a solution. He would divide the chakra into pieces with the last of his strength and I would keep the parts in check long enough for the world to recover from the Ten-Tails reign. He split it into the nine the world knows of. Why nine pieces you ask? He didn't have any influence on that. The division was already decided the day I spilled my own blood. From nine pools, to one pool, and back to nine parts. Simple math."

Dracula was silent for a minute, lost in memories and thoughts. Then he spoke, voice firm to stress his point.

"Hades. The Ten-Tails must not be allowed to return to this world. Its powers are too great. I can fight the Nine-Tailed Fox and the Eight-Tails on equal ground, but I cannot take on all nine beasts at once. And you're not strong enough to contain it. Besides, your chakra and the Ten-Tails' chakra would be a rather explosive mix."

Hades nodded his understanding. "I see. Then what do we do?"

Dracula sighed and focused on the moon. "Should it come to it, we must destroy the moon. The consequences for the world will be enormous, but compared to the Ten-Tails' return, it will be the lesser evil. But for now, we wait and watch. I will see you later. Now, resume your training. See ya."

With that Dracula took off, flying high into the sky. He smiled. 'Hades is developing well. I was lucky he was furious so he couldn't control his chakra as well as he usually does. But still… to mask his Death Chakra like that and kick me so it actually hurt… that is really something. Even now it still hurts, if even a little.'

Hades looked after him before resuming the position he had been in before his interruption. Soon, the elemental walls flared to life again. After an hour of training, he stopped and the walls dissolved into nothing. He stood and looked at the moon.

'Soon… the sky will be black and the soil red. Soon… the war will begin.'

He disappeared in a burst of green flames.

End chapter nine


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: The Kages Gather.

When Shikamaru entered the Hatake Estate's living room, he was met by a very surprising sight. Itachi was sitting in a corner looking rather cranky as he glared daggers at Rin and Obito who looked rather smug. Naruto was rolling on the floor, laughing his ass off. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow when he saw the sight. Especially since Sasuke was laughing as well. He tapped Sakura on the shoulder.

"Sakura… what happened here?"

Sakura stifled her giggles. "Itachi planned on taking his leave. Unfortunately, when he came here to inform Rin-san and Obito-san about it, they didn't like it. Obito-san distracted him while Rin snuck up on him from behind and used 'A Thousand Years of Death', thus the dent in the ceiling."

Shikamaru camouflaged his snicker with a cough. Once over the shock, he spoke. "Sakura… have you seen Ino? I kinda need to speak with her."

Naruto, hearing what Shikamaru just said, stopped laughing and stood up. "No, we haven't seen…"

He was cut off as Ino walked in, only wearing a badly closed bathrobe. Not looking who was in the room, she walked in and kissed Naruto on the cheek. Purring, she spoke.

"Last night was amazing Naruto-kun. It was just as you described from Make-Out Spring chapter 15 when the two blonds…"

She grew silent when she noticed Naruto's pale face. "Something wrong?"

Looking over her shoulders she saw Hinata ran out of the door while Sakura was cracking her knuckles. Beside her stood two very grim looking persons: Neji and Shikamaru. Ino gulped.

"Sorry Sakura. I…"

Sakura cut her off. "Don't worry Ino. It isn't you I'm angry with. At least not right now."

Ino took the hint and ran upstairs, most likely to get her clothes. Naruto swallowed hard as he backed away, chuckling nervously. "Eh… guys… guys… can't we find a solution to this?"

Neji activated his Byakugan but otherwise he stayed silent. Shikamaru, rolling his shoulders and rubbing his fist into his palm spoke as the three of them approached.

"Do you have any ideas Naruto?"

Naruto felt his back hit the wall. And of course it had to be in a corner. "Well… I thought we could talk this over a bowl of ramen… you know …like civilized people."

Sakura growled as they came within three feet of him. "Too late for that… Naruto-kun."

Naruto bleached till he had the same colour as new fallen snow. "Sasuke… Rin-neechan… Obito-san… HELP ME!"

WHACK! BAM! SMACK! KABAM! SLAM! WHAM!

When the trio were done, the common room was roaring with laughter and Naruto looked like something the cat brought inside. Itachi had a big sweat drop running down the back of his head.

'Naruto-kun… you still have a lot to learn about girls and what it means being the guy with most girls desiring you. Kakashi-san would be embarrassed if he saw how you handled that situation.'

00000

It was late afternoon. Danzou and his bodyguards were heading towards the place in the Iron country where the meeting among the five Kages would take place. On his inside Danzou was calm, but on the inside he was fuming. Those wolves had proved to be more difficult to get around than first expected. It was two nights ago he had first encountered them, and according to the reports that he had received so far, new attempts to get inside the temple by Root and ANBU had been thwarted. But at least he knew where he had Tsunade and Itachi. Not that it helped him much, as they still were inside the Hatake Estate.

"Sir, we are here."

Danzou looked up. Indeed, they had reached their destination. In front of them stood a man with long hair and beard. From the eyes and up, he wore bandages. He spoke in calm voice.

"Welcome Hokage. My name is Mifune, the leader of the Iron Country, and I act as the chairman at this meeting. We are just waiting for the Kazekage."

Danzou nodded before entering with his bodyguards.

00000

Sagato watched with Byakugan as Danzou entered. 'Hm. This could prove to get interesting. Zetsu should be here any moment now.'

He didn't have to wait for long as Zetsu appeared. It had been two days since they saw they had been fooled by the Eight-Tails' Jinchuuriki. A mistake he would be sure not to make again. That's why he had send Shaka and Kisame to recapture him. That singing buffoon was starting to get on his nerves. He hoped Zetsu brought good news.

"Any news?"

"_**Yes. We found him. He was last seen with another singing idiot and a weird bear. Shaka and Kisame have already been informed.**_"

The white part continued. "How are things going here?"

Sagato deactivated the Byakugan. "They are waiting for the Kazekage."

Zetsu tilted his head. Then he smirked. "How long shall I wait before I join their party? After the Kazekage arrives I mean."

Sagato shook his head before smirking too. "The two of us will wait here for the time being. Besides, our spy is already in position."

The white side nodded. "Understood."

"_**Can we trust him? You did have your doubts concerning Mordred after all.**_"

Sagato frowned. Zetsu did have a point.

"Hm. You do have point. Trusting one Necromancer is foolish, but two is just plain out insane. Then again… their powers are unique. Even I can't copy them. Or rather: I can copy them, but trying to use them is just too dangerous. Although I'm able to copy the abilities of others, I have to train to master them. But to understand the base of their powers… to gain experience about wielding even a little amount of Death Chakra… too dangerous. One slight mistake and you end up dead."

He was silent for a minute before continuing. "Pain tried recruiting the legendary ninja Dracula and failed. Enrolling Mordred and his partner in our ranks is the closest we come to having that kind of powers with us. Any news on the Uchiha?"

Zetsu frowned slightly. "The last time I spoke with him, he told me that he was trying to get a very persistent guy off his trail. He didn't elaborate though, but he seemed really freaked out about it."

Sagato shrugged. "Not my problem. But I'm impressed. You didn't even flinch when I mentioned Dracula."

Zetsu looked at Sagato, questioning. "Why would I flinch? His power is legendary, but he will need to catch me first. I have escaped his spies before so I know what to be on the lookout for."

Sagato smiled. "True. Hm. It seems the Kazekage is approaching."

He was quite right. Three eagles were heading towards the meeting place. Sagato nodded his satisfaction. "Good. Let's go, Zetsu. Our spy will contact us if he needs things to stir up."

With that they left.

00000

Mifune frowned when he saw the approaching eagles. Just as he was about to sound the battle alarm, the eagles disappeared and three people seemed to fall in slow motion towards the ground. Five minutes later, he saw three people marching towards him. The one to his right was a woman with blond hair sat up in four pig-tails. Her clothes were white and on her back she carried something that Mifune thought resembled a closed fan. The guy on his left wore black clothes with a hood on that looked like it had ears. He had painted his face with a purple colour.

(AN: Same way as in the manga and Temari's clothes is the same as before just in white.)

Mifune looked a little closer. The two he just described was walking a little behind the one in the middle. He wore the Kazekage robes and a gourd on his back, alongside the hat signifying he was the Kazekage. He was young from what Mifune could tell, 18 at most. His maroon hair was the same length as it was two years ago. He came to a stop before Mifune, standing 1, 75 tall, a red tattoo over his left eye saying 'love'. He had turquoise or pale green eyes and black markings around his eyes. His voice was calm and deep.

"My name is Gaara of the Desert, Fifth Kazekage of the Hidden Sand Village. This is my brother Kankurou and my sister, Temari. Nice to meet you."

Mifune nodded. "My name is Mifune, leader of the Iron Country. The other Kages are already here. This way if you please, Kazekage-dono."

Gaara merely nodded and he followed Mifune. Ten minutes later, and they were in the conference room.

(AN: I'm too lazy to describe it, go check it in the manga. The Kage and their bodyguards will be the same.)

Mifune took a seat behind his table. "This is an emergency gathering requested by Raikage-dono. Please, place your hats on the table and the meeting will begin. To the attending bodyguards, please retreat to the area behind the banners.

Going from left to the right from Mifune, the Kages placed their hats on the table. From left to right they were: Mizukage, Gaara, Danzou, Tsuchikage and Raikage. Mifune nodded.

"Let the meeting begin."

End chapter 10


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Boiling Point.

Gaara was the first to speak, elbows resting on the table and his right hand resting on top of the left, almost in front of his mouth. "I will go first. Listen up."

The Tsuchikage smirked. "The makeup of the five Kages sure has changed. You must be something special to be made Kazekage at your age. Your father taught you well, although it seems he forgot to teach you some manners."

Gaara merely turned his gaze to the old Tsuchikage. In the background he heard his brother say something about old geezers. Gaara sighed. He had barely met the leader of the Hidden Rock and he was already reminded of his council members.

"I guess… That's why I'm here as Kazekage. But it seems that at your age you have forgotten your manners."

Ignoring the sputtering Tsuchikage about cheeky brats, Gaara continued.

"I'm a former Jinchuuriki. Two years ago, Akatsuki extracted the Bijuu and it nearly killed me. Already back then, Akatsuki would go to great lengths to get to the host and thus the Bijuu. And now… they are even more ruthless. In other words, they are more dangerous than before. Back then, I repeatedly requested help from the other Kages, but I was ignored… except from the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade. But now… with so many of the hosts captured… it's too late for help."

The Tsuchikage huffed. "If your host have been captured, you have no right giving other countries orders! You should have tried retrieving it in secret! You can't expect other countries to help you recover it once it has been stolen! It's an embarrassment!"

Gaara, once again, shifted his gaze to the Tsuchikage. The old man was beginning to get on his nerves. While his blood was heating up, he remained calm on the outside.

"Appearance… honour… I don't have time for that ridiculous outdated way of thinking. If I did… I would have this conversation with a stubborn old donkey."

And so the conversation went on. Mizukage told them not to be afraid just because the beasts were captured while Danzou talked about how only two people were known to have complete control over the Bijuu: Madara Uchiha and the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, and perhaps the Fourth Mizukage Yagura and the Raikage's brother. Then Raikage lost his temper and crashed the table, causing all of the bodyguards to come out from their hiding. Shii and Darui were facing the others with their backs to Raikage. Gaara merely raised an eyebrow.

"Temari… Kankurou… stand down and retreat to your posts."

Gaara's siblings looked from the Raikage to each other before nodding. The Mizukage smiled. "Ao, Chojuro, it's all right."

Ao nodded. "Yes Ma'am."

The Tsuchikage motioned with his head to tell his bodyguards that they should pull back. Danzou gave a simple nod, and soon all of the bodyguards were back where they started. Mifune spoke, a little startled.

"We are here to talk. Please refrain from displaying that kind of rudeness."

Raikage just huffed before addressing the others. "Leaf! Stone! Sand! Mist! Akatsuki is made up of missing ninjas from your villages! And that's not all! I know that there are those among you who have used Akatsuki for your own purposes!"

And so he and the Tsuchikage went on, explaining to a very shocked Gaara why people would use Akatsuki, Raikage was in his own mind questioning Danzou's true loyalty and accusing in subtle manners that Danzou had something to do with the attack that led to the Third Hokage's death. After that he went for Mizukage told about how she feared that the Fourth Mizukage might have been under the influence of Akatsuki. Then the Tsuchikage began blaming the use of Akatsuki on Raikage because he had been amassing jutsus and power during a time of disarmament that others had been forced to use Akatsuki, outraging the Raikage. Mifune chose this moment to speak up.

"Before this escalates into something we can't handle, we should talk about something we all, hopefully, can agree on: The Akatsuki and how do we stop them. As a neutral party, I will suggest a five- village alliance. Just till Akatsuki is taken off."

Raikage seemed even more outraged and it was evident in his voice. "An alliance?"

Danzou was silent for a moment. Then he spoke. "That's a good idea. Seeing how we're in a state of emergency, we have to cooperate"

'I like where this is heading.'

Mifune nodded. "In order to avoid confusion, the chain of command should be uniform."

The Tsuchikage furrowed his brow slightly. "So the question is… who shall lead this new army?"

Mifune spoke again. "You will only fight among yourselves. So I would like if you would my position as a neutral country. I will decide who among you is best suited for the job."

Danzou succeed in hiding the smile that would have crept over his face. 'Now… Tsunade's time as Hokage is over.'

Mifune's bodyguard, the one with the scar over his right eye, frowned slightly. 'Not good. Seems like the plan is going to fail.'

Mifune for his part was silent for moment. Then he spoke. "The only Tailed-Beast that is left is the Hidden Leaf's Nine-Tails. I think it will be the key to this… what do you say? Will you allow the Hokage to lead the alliance?"

Gaara and the Mizukage remained silent, although Gaara seemed to frown slightly, but the reactions from the Raikage and Tsuchikage were heard and they came immediately.

"WHAT!"

Danzou spoke up in a natural tone. "If you will have me, I would be honoured to take the position."

Raikage protested immediately. "Why him? He is the incarnation of the darkness of the ninja world! We can't trust him!"

Mifune turned his gaze to the Raikage. "Then who?"

Raikage got his arguments ready. "No one from our village is involved in Akatsuki! I'm the only trustworthy enough to…"

Mifune spoke up, his attention now completely on the Raikage. "I do not agree."

Before Raikage could say anything, another spoke up. "Neither do I."

Raikage turned his stare towards Gaara who met his eyes calmly. "What was that, Kazekage?"

Gaara didn't even flinch or anything as he felt the tension between himself and the larger man. His voice and eyes were calm as well when he spoke.

"You should listen to Tsuchikage more often: You should watch your tongue better, Raikage."

Upon seeing Raikage was about to shout, some more, Gaara held up his hand and spoke again.

"Please let me finish. You just said that you're more trustworthy than the rest of us since Akatsuki is made of missing-nins from our villages? Then please explain how it can be that two years ago, the now deceased Kakashi of the Sharingan fought an Akatsuki member from your village, the Hidden Cloud Village? Also, please explain how four squads of Cloud ninja were seen crossing the border of the countries of Lightning and Fire one week ago? Or why and how one of those squads was seen near the northern border of Wind country just two days ago?"

Gaara was silent for some time before speaking again."You accuse the Hidden Mist for being the most suspicious because they don't have any alliances with any other country. Yet that is. You see, the former Hokage and I were negotiating with the Mizukage in order to form an alliance between Leaf, Mist and Sand."

Raikage looked completely perplexed. Then he began shouting. "PLEASE EXPLAIN THEN, KAZEKAGE! HOW CAN YOUR SPIES KNOW ABOUT CLOUD NINJAS CROSSING THE BORDERS BETWEEN FIRE AND LIGHTNING? OR BETTER YET: WHY WERE YOUR SPIES NEAR LIGHTNING'S BORDERS?"

Gaara felt his anger rise. "My spies were near the borders of Lightning because they were investigating rumours that Orochimaru was rebuilding the Sound Village. They saw your men by coincidence when they crossed the border between Fire and Lightning Country. Once they told me about this, I decided to keep an eye on your men."

Raikage glared at Gaara, lightning flaring slightly around him. "HOW dare you, Kazekage? You have no business meddling with the tensions between Leaf and Cloud! So unless the Hokage requested for your help, you had no reason to spy on my men! Unless you are accomplished with Akatsuki and the Hidden Leaf when Hidden Cloud was attacked! YOU'RE OUT OF LINE, KAZEKAGE!"

That was it. Gaara had reached his limit for what he would tolerate. He stood too, sand emerging from the sleeves of his Kazekage robe. Shii and Darui were already standing in front of Raikage while Temari and Kankurou was about to leave their posts when Gaara spoke, voice and eyes cold and filled with anger as he locked eyes with the Raikage.

"Stop, Kankurou, Temari. Stay out of this."

Narrowing his eyes at the three Cloud sninobi, he spoke again.

"If I remember correctly, Raikage, you were the one to turn down the emergency supplies I sent to the Hidden Cloud Village after it was attacked by Akatsuki. Also, I have every right to help out an ally, requested or not. Especially when foreign troops cross mine ally's border and later are seen near mine own borders. How dare you accuse me, a former host, helping Akatsuki? How dare you accuse me for helping the same people who took me captive and nearly killed me? YOU ARE THE ONE WHO IS OUT OF LINE, RAIKAGE!"

Raikage couldn't believe his eyes and ears. Here was man, or in his eyes, boy, who willingly challenged him. More than that, he stopped his guards from interfering. Seeing the questioning looks from his guards, he sighed.

"Shii and Darui… stand down. This is between myself and the Kazekage."

Both men nodded and retreated to their posts, glaring at Temari and Kankurou who answered with glares of their own. Turning off his lightning chakra, Raikage took several calming breaths and sat down again before speaking.

"I won't apology for what I said, only for what I did. So, Kazekage: I take it you support the suggestion of the Hokage leading an alliance between our villages?"

Gaara too took a calming breath and pulled back his sand. He too sat down as he felt every person present looking at him.

"No, I didn't say that. While I do trust the former Hokage, I don't trust the present. There are too many dark rumours surrounding him. Also… I haven't forgotten that he led the forces that opposed the Fifth Hokage two years ago in the civil war. Hokage… genjutsu or not: I don't trust you."

A shocked silence followed this. However, it was soon broken by Mifune's huge bodyguard. Apparently, he had just received a message from one of the perimeter guards. He shouted.

"We are under attack! One Akatsuki member has been spotted leading a smaller army! You lordships: Leaf shinobi have been spotted in that army."

Everyone was silent for almost a minute. Gaara looked disbelieving, the Mizukage surprised, the Tsuchikage a mix of surprised and shocked, Danzou indifferent while the Raikage looked stunned. That expression, however, changed into a furious one as he jumped up, lightning armour blazing. He roared.

"I knew it! The Leaf Village and Akatsuki are allies! This meeting is over! I hereby declare open war against the Village Hidden in the Leaves!"

End chapter 11


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Negotiation Breakdown: The War Begins!

"I knew it! The Leaf Village and Akatsuki are allies! This meeting is over! I hereby declare open war against the Village Hidden in the Leaves!"

Dracula, standing on the ceiling while being invisible and masking his chakra, succeeded in stopping himself from snorting and laugh.

'Declaring open war? The Raikage is so predictable that it is almost embarrassing. Not that I complain, it makes my plan so much easier. But I can't believe the Sensors down there haven't noticed me yet. If my memory serves me right, the one from Mist is Ao, the Eye of the Mist. I don't know the one with the Hokage, nor do I care. No one here comes close to even pose a threat to me. Although…'

He narrowed his eyes at Mifune's bodyguard with the scar running down his right eye.

'I have a hard time understanding what a Necromancer is doing here, yet alone working alongside Akatsuki. I haven't seen or heard anything for them in two decades. From what my spies told me, Orochimaru sought to join them before he was enrolled in Akatsuki, but was refused. If my memory serves me right, and going by his power, then this one must be Spirit. But knowing that still doesn't explain what he is doing here. Damn it. Unlike humans, I can't read their minds.'

Dracula frowned deeply.

'Necromancers don't care about money so that can't be the reason for one of them to join Akatsuki. Revenge? No, the Elves disappeared. Or rather: They became the Senju of the Forest. Last time they fought each other was nearly 400 years ago. The Necromancers was said to have been destroyed completely back then, but I know at least two of them survived. But for now, I will just see how this develops. I wonder how long it will take before Danzou makes a run for it. And… how will you handle this… Gaara?'

11111

Several feet below Dracula, the Kages sat in silence for a minute. Then the Tsuchikage found his voice.

"Open war? Are you serious, Raikage? The ninja world experience a time of relative peace with lesser tension between the countries. Do you really want to throw that away?"

The Raikage's gaze shifted from the Tsuchikage, Gaara and Danzou.

"I will not let this treachery go unheeded! First we will deal with this offending army, then, the war against the Hidden Leaf shall begin!"

He narrowed his gaze at Danzou. "This is a neutral country, Danzou. And although you don't accept that, doesn't mean I will sink to your level. And…"

He was, however, cut off by an explosion from above. All the Kages and their bodyguards looked up in alarm, just in time to see a huge man came through a huge hole in the ceiling while another man with a strange sword fell down and got his skull crushed when the he hit the floor in the middle of the room. Gaara quickly stood up, discarding his Kazekage robes in the process since they would only be a hinder to him, and prepared to fight should it prove necessary. His current outfit was pretty much the same as it was two years ago, except the colours had changed. It was now black and grey.

More of these huge men came bursting through the hole, swinging their swords and shields as they ran down the walls or just jumped down. Soon all hell broke loose as the fight began. In the commotion, no one noticed Danzou and his subordinates make their exit.

11111

Dracula frowned slightly at the exchange going on below him, but he was soon brought out of his thoughts by an explosion to his right. Hanging upside down, it was hard to tell, but Dracula guessed that the guy who came through the hole and charged at him was at least 2 metres tall, broad and well muscled. And very bad smelling. The man was clad in armour made of metal while it seemed to be wearing primitive boots. He also wore a skin mask covering his face with a Leaf headband on it. All of this Dracula registered in the fraction of a second as he dispelled the invisibility jutsu. With one swift move he swept the one charging towards him off his legs, causing the man to fall to the floor. Dracula heard the doll thud as the man's skull cracked before turning his focus on the next opponent. This guy was of the same build, but he also wielded a square formed shield that seemed to bulge slightly outward on the middle and with pointy corners. Frowning, he waited for the warrior to get within reach. The man held the sword, the tip almost forming a hook, in his right hand and swung said arm. Dracula caught it with ease around the wrist. Unfortunately, by doing so, he came face to face with the guy, his smell bombarding Dracula's nose. Dracula cursed under his breath.

"Seriously… have you ever used a toothbrush or taken a bath? Because you stink! And your breath isn't any better!"

In the next moment, the warrior's brain was blown out. Literally, as Dracula just punched the man in the face. Before any more guys could surround him, he teleported to the roof of the tower. He just managed to get a glimpse of the four remaining Kages finishing off an enemy. But once he reached his destination, he almost wished he hadn't. Instead of being surrounded by men and women, he stood among foul looking and smelling creatures. They had feral yellow eyes with black slits, pointed yellow teeth. Some wore black metallic plate armours while others stood with bare torso. Their necks were thick and their ears were pointy. They had long black dirty hair. Their skin was muddy brown and they seemed to have dug out of the earth.

Dracula sighed in annoyance as several of these creatures attacked. "This is so much not what I needed. One of these guys smelled bad enough and now this."

The creatures howled in triumph. "Meat is back on the menu boys!"

At this Dracula narrowed his eyes. 'So you think I will be your dinner huh? Well, dream on, but I don't intend on being your main dish.'

He quickly took a stance. His index, middle and ring fingers were stretched out while his thumbs held his little fingers down, left hand in front of his chest, right hand in the air. He crouched slightly before speaking.

"Demon Fist, 9 Trigrams: Rotation!"

He began spinning with an insane speed and the blows he dealt hurt his opponents regardless of their thick armour and left deep cuts on their bodies and trails of black blood hang in the air. He gained more speed and hit more enemies, thus increasing the amount of blood and fallen enemies. After 20 seconds he stopped spinning and he was surrounded by a thick dome of black blood, shielding him from those creatures view. Outside the dome, 20 enemies lay slain on the roof. Although something seemed terrible wrong. Their bodies were almost completely flattened out. Inside the dome, Dracula allowed a small smirk to creep over his face.

'Been a long time since I used that trick. By releasing a small amount of chakra from all over my body, I form a shield while my hands are able to damage my opponents' blood vessels, smashing them upon contact. Then the rotation draws the blood to the open wound and sucks it out. It's still more effective than when Hades performs it, but for how long? Just like me, he is a blood specialist. Heh, I guess it's no surprise. After all, his Jigokugan is, basically, a combination of the Byakugan, Sharingan and Rinnegan. With slight alterations. But that isn't the most terrifying power of those eyes. Even I don't know the full extent of their power. That and combined with Hades being a genius makes him not to be taken lightly. But enough about that for now. Now, take this!'

He moved his hands as he was a puppeteer and ended by making a pushing move with his hands. The dome of blood instantly began swirling with insane speed, and when he pushed it sailed towards the creatures, catching fire as it went. This caused the creatures that were caught to howl in pain before they fell to the ground. With one part of the roof he cleared, Dracula turned around to face the other part. Glancing into the sky he saw two huge monsters with bat like wings. One of them had a rider while the other didn't.

The rider wore a long and slightly ragged black robe with a hood, but with an Akatsuki cloak over the first. Although this one had a weird looking helmet. If Dracula had been a mere human, he wouldn't have been able to see him in the dark sky, but as he moves during the dark night, he could see and identify this guy without trouble. He smiled slightly as he nonchalantly bashed one of the creatures away, crushing its skull.

"Look who we got here… The Master of Flesh… The Necromancer, Mordred."

Mordred, even though he flew high in the sky, could clearly make out his opponent's features. And he felt something he hadn't felt it a long time as realization hit him: Fear.

'It can't be… Dracula! What the hell is he doing here? This changes everything!'

Then he sent a telepathic message to his partner and Sagato. "Abort mission! Abort mission now! Dracula is here!"

With that he turned the monster and retreated. Dracula growled with menace as he caught two of the creatures by the throat, one in each hand, before snapping their windpipes. Now he remembered what these things were called. Uruk-hai. Mordred created them 90 years ago by merging his original monsters, called orcs, with humans. That gave birth to those monsters. Smart as humans, but stronger and with high stamina. Plus they could move in broad daylight. In the next moment one looking like Mordred, except this guy didn't wear any helmet, burst through the roof and flew straight onto the back of the winged monster before taking off in the same direction as the other: East. Dracula growled again and uttered several curses before countering the remaining 50 Uruks' attack.

"Wind Element: Black Nightmare Tornado jutsu."

Ignoring the howls of pain the Uruk-hai made as their skin, flesh and muscles were peeled off he narrowed his eyes dangerously in the direction the two Necromancers had disappeared.

"Mordred and Spirit, eh? Not a good combination. But believe me Necromancers… this is far from over. You better pray that we won't meet again. Now… back to do what I came for. Danzou and his helpers have fled the scene and escaped the Uruk-hai. More work for me to do."

He sighed in annoyance. "I will just have to deal with that later."

With that he teleported back to the conference room.

00000

Raikage stepped over the body of the last slain enemy. In the conference room and the adjoining corridors lay around 50 enemies, various injuries dealt by the Kages and their attendants. Suppressing his anger and turning his lightning armour off, he spoke.

"It seems that the Hokage got away and his little minions here have killed several samurais. What do you have say about this, Kazekage?"

Gaara frowned as he turned one of the enemies over with his foot. He sighed as he saw the mask with the Leaf symbol."I don't know what to say. This…"

Gaara's face contorted in disgust as he removed the mask and the other more or less mirrored his reaction when they saw the face.

"_Thing _seems to have been created through forbidden jutsu. It doesn't add up. One of my friends from the Hidden Leaf taught me that until you throve yourself away and completely give into darkness, there will always be hope. And as long as there is hope, you can become truly strong. I cannot accept immoral methods. And I'm sure he wouldn't stand for it either. Nevertheless, the Hokage's betrayal can't be forgiven. He must be punished but innocent shall not suffer for his treason."

Gaara took a deep breath before exhaling all of it. When he spoke, his voice was calm and he met the Raikage's furious gaze with eyes calm eyes.

"Have your war against the Hokage, Raikage. However… if as much as a whisper reaches me that innocent civilians and ninja who didn't know about Danzou's scheme suffers unnecessarily, I will not hesitate one moment to send in the Hidden Sand's full strength against the Hidden Cloud and its allies in this war."

The Raikage narrowed his eyes at Gaara. "Is that a threat, Kazekage?"

Gaara crossed his arms. "No. Just information and a promise of what will happen if said things happens."

Just as Raikage was about to protest, an evil cackle could be heard. They all turned towards the sound, just in time to see one of Mifune's guards contort in agony before his skin blackened and he fell to the ground, dead. And while all eyes were directed at the form on the ground, which clearly had been dead for a while, Spirit saw his chance to get away.

None of the Kages noticed him, except for something black moving. Raikage frowned.

"What the hell was that? And why is one of Mifune's guards dead?"

The Tsuchikage frowned too. Despite him seeing Gaara as a brat, the boy was wise beyond his age. "The Village Hidden in the Stone joins the Raikage in his war against the Sixth Hokage, Danzou. What about you, Mizukage and Mifune?"

The Mizukage sighed. Despite his young age, and what she saw as charm while the Tsuchikage most likely saw as a bratty attitude, she couldn't help but to think that Gaara was too innocent to lead. Yet, he had just proved that he could hold his ground and would fight for his ideals.

"The Hidden Mist will not join the alliance of Cloud and Stone. It will set the same demands as Sand."

Mifune looked from his bodyguard to the Kages. "The Iron Country is weakened. As soon as our forces are back to full, we will join the alliance of Cloud and Stone. But I still don't understand what happened to my bodyguard."

"I think I can answer that."

They all whipped around at the sound of the cold voice near the door. Gaara recognized the voice although he hadn't heard it in two years. His eyes went wide and allowed a small whisper to escape his lips as he saw the ninja of legend.

"Dracula-sama."

Gathering his courage, he spoke in a louder and calmer voice. "What do you have to say, Dracula-sama?"

Dracula looked at the leaders of the countries and resisted the urge to smile. The Tsuchikage looked absolutely terrified to see him, Mifune confused, Mizukage baffled, Gaara slightly perturbed while the Raikage looked indifferent. The bodyguards looked slightly shocked, but Dracula attributed that to the fact they hadn't noticed him before now.

"It was me…"

He was cut off as Raikage charged at him and launched a punch for Dracula's face. "So you are allied with Danzou too?"

Dracula caught Raikage's right fist in his left hand with ease. Although he had to admit Raikage was fast and knew how to pack a punch. Squeezing slightly, he forced the Raikage a bit down before snarling.

"You would do better in keeping your cool, boy. I wasn't done talking. Now… sit down and keep quiet."

With that he clenched his right hand into a fist and punched the Raikage through the opposite wall. Once Raikage came into the conference room again, he glared at Dracula but resisted the urge to attack again. Dracula smiled.

"Now, as I was saying: It was me who put the Akatsuki members on the run. The army of Uruk-hai is at the moment on the run."

Gaara bowed as Dracula's gaze reached him, and Dracula nodded his content so that Gaara could speak whatever was on his mind.

"Dracula-sama. Forgive me for asking, but what is an Uruk-hai?"

Dracula simply pointed to the monster that Gaara had removed the mask from. "That's an Uruk-hai, created nearly one century ago by the Necromancers Mordred. But that is irrelevant. I don't know how Danzou got his hands on the Uruk-hai or how deep he is involved with Akatsuki. But I know one who might."

The Raikage raised an eyebrow and voiced all of the attending' thoughts. "Who?"

Chuckling slightly, he withdrew four photos from the inside of his cloak and tossed one to each Kage. Raikage frowned before shouting. "But we can't see his face! How are we supposed to apprehend him?"

Dracula chuckled darkly. "That is not mine headache. But relax. He pretty much never takes off that cloak or hood. Anyway, his name is Hades. I advice you not to take him lightly; he is at least A-rank so I would suggest you only send jounin or your ANBU."

The Kages nodded their understanding and Dracula resisted the urge to smile. His plan had gone well. And way easier than he could even hope. Although Hades probably wasn't going to be happy with the rank. Before any of the ninja or samurai he vanished in a cloud of black smoke, his words lingering in the room.

"Good luck."

0000

Hades stood on a hilltop, looking at the Hidden Rain Village. Or rather: The burning city. Fire rained down upon the city, creating minor and major explosions. Ignoring the screams that he occasionally heard, he watched in silence as one of the towers crumbled and fell to the ground, leaving a heavy trail of smoke in its wake. Beside him lay two dead Rain ninja. He had drained them for blood in order to stay alive. Lightning bolts started to hit the Rain Village alongside the fire that came from the sky. But he wasn't alone.

Behind him stood three people. Two men and a woman. Each of them wore black cloaks with sleeves and hoods, but the cloaks weren't long enough to reach the ground, making three sets of ninja sandals visible. Each of them had their faces concealed by a porcelain mask. Two of them, the men's, resembled a falcon and a jackal while the woman wore a mask that showed a human's face. People might have mistaken them for the Hidden Leaf's ANBU if it wasn't for the masks. While the ANBU's masks' base colour is white and painted with different colours to form animals, these masks were black with yellow and golden lines shaping the forms.

Hades turned his head slightly, and spoke in calm voice. "Horus… Isis… Anubis. The Hidden Rain Village has fallen. It's yours."

Isis, the woman spoke up, clearly uncomfortable. "We thank you, Hades-sama. But was it really necessary to kill all those people?"

Hades seemed to think about this. Then he let out a sigh. "Two years ago, the Hidden Rain was controlled by a man called Pain. People saw him as god because he took down Hanzou, his allies and loyal men down single-handly. This town will not follow you if those who saw Pain as a god oppose you. I spared the children as you requested, Isis. So yes, it was necessary. There will be no trace left of Pain in the Hidden Rain in less than one hour."

Isis bowed. The man to her right, the one with a jackal mask, spoke up. "Hades-sama, if I may: What about Orochimaru?"

Hades was silent. Then something close to a chuckle was heard from under his hood. An ominous chuckle.

"Ah yes. Almost forgot about that snake. Don't worry about him, Anubis. He will come to me, either trying to renegotiate the deal I made with him or kill me. Too bad for him. He has already done what I asked him to do and more than that. But of course he doesn't know that. When he seeks me out, I will teach him what happens when you try to trick me. Instead he ended up being fooled by me. He isn't the only one who can play the game of deception."

Anubis bowed. Although he would never admit it, Hades scared the living daylight out of him. You would have to be a fool if you didn't fear him, seeing as how Hades had invoked fire and lightning to strike the entire Rain Village from the sky by merely opening his eyes. He snapped to attention by Hades' cold voice.

"Anubis, Horus and Isis: You will command my bow, sword and shield in the war to come. You're dismissed."

Anubis, Horus and Isis chorused as they responded. "Yes, Hades-sama!"

With that they took off. As he watched them, he chuckled slightly, two orbs of blue, green and red blazing within the darkness of his hood.

"Soon the sky will be black and the soil red."

With that he stopped his elemental onslaught on the city and disappeared in green flames.

End chapter 12.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Fishy Men.

Danzou and his bodyguards stared in shock at the person in front of them. Wearing a black cloak and completely red eyes except for the slit formed vertical pupils. Or rather: They were surprised, but it didn't show. Fuu spoke up as the first.

"Impressive. I'm a Sensor type, yet you snuck up on us. Who are you?"

Dracula chuckled. "None of your concern. I came here to show you a way out of the war. Or at least postpone your annihilation. We all know you can't withstand the full onslaught of the Hidden Cloud in the moment. To make things worse, Hidden Rock has joined Hidden Cloud."

Danzou looked at Dracula. "Perhaps we will be destroyed. But the Sand won't look on that kindly."

Dracula shook his head. "The Kazekage won't help you out in this war. Now answer me: Do you want my help or not?"

Danzou considered his options. Glancing at his guards, he spoke. "Yes."

Dracula nodded, stopping himself from smirking slightly. 'Do they take me for a fool? Your attack will be futile and I won't fall for your stupid body-swap trap.'

"If you can take this man into custody, you will get a witness who can talk your case. Be careful though. He is at least A-Rank, so I suggest you only send jounin or ANBU. And don't worry: He pretty much never takes of the cloak you see on the picture. His name is Hades. Farewell."

After Danzou received the picture of a man wearing a black cloak with a complicated green pattern, his guards attacked. Dracula, however, had other ideas. Not wanting to hurt them too badly, he simply released some chakra, its force sending Fuu and Torune into a tree, before he disappeared in a cloud of black smoke.

Slightly surprised, Danzou resumed walking.

"Let's go, Fuu, Torune. We have a lot of work to do."

Both guards stood up and began walking. "Yes sir."

00000

It was nothing but pure luck that they managed to get the civilians within the newly repaired city walls with all of their possessions before the enemy came. All ninjas and civilians had more or less worked around the clock in two or three days in order to restore the wall and build houses to the civilians. Especially for the elder, women and children. Since the attack by Akatsuki, they had managed to heal the earth so that there was no trace left of the crater by making all chuunin and jounin using Earth Element jutsus, build houses to all civilians, repaired the walls, several stockpiles to wood and other raw materials, temporary rooms for food and water and the hospital had been rebuild. All of that had been made in two days. But there still was a lot more that needed to be built. Although ninjas using shadow clones help a ton, thank you very much. And the aid from Sand also helped. And the dead? Thanks to the Hyuuga clan, the fallen was now being kept in the hospital, the decaying process slowed down by a Hyuuga clan secret.

Naruto sighed as he rested against the wall's rails, listening to the fire below him on the outside of the walls.

'First Akatsuki and now this. We were lucky this time around. Man, what's next? War against one of the Five Great Villages? Hopefully Gaara will help if it should come to it.'

The enemy had come out of nowhere, storming the walls. The creatures were the most disgusting and hideous things Naruto ever had laid eyes on. Smaller than a man with swarthy skin, contorted forms and very bad smelling. They had worn chain mails and were armed with small sword. Perhaps they wasn't the smartest Naruto had fought, but their numbers and brute strength made up for that. Even if he and the other jounin and ANBU on wall duty managed to hold the wall, they were easily outnumbered by seven or eight to one. It was only when the chuunin reinforcements and a couple of the seasoned jounin arrived that they managed to push the enemy back. As said, the enemy hadn't been the smartest. Instead of trying to break down the gate, they had run up the wall. Thankfully some well placed shuriken, kunai and minor offensive jutsus enough to slow them down. Fortunately, as far as Naruto knew, these creatures hadn't displayed any use of offensive jutsu, so there hadn't been any casualties. Only some wounded, but they were being treated. Nevertheless, it disturbed Naruto and the others that something resembling the Hidden Cloud insignia could be seen on the enemy.

Sighing, Naruto stood up, ignoring the smell of burning flesh and his aching muscles. He chuckled dryly.

"Sakura-chan is probably going to scold me for overexerting myself, but I can't rest when others are working so hard."

With that he was off, heading for somewhere he could help.

00000

Killer Bee smirked. He had just sent Kisame flying into a tree using his Version Two. Although Samehada had absorbed a lot of chakra, Bee still had eight charka tails, even if it was just his Eight-Tails cloak. Sabu shouted that Bee should hurry up and finish off Kisame as Samehada began making its way over to Kisame.

Killer Bee grinned.

"Right. Time for you to die."

Bee charged. However, he suddenly froze, blades inches away from Kisame. A snort was heard from one of the trees.

"Seriously Kisame. Although I don't mind you playing around with him, I don't have all day either. I would like to get this over with so we can start hunting the Nine-Tails again. Besides, if I have to endure one more of this goon's attempts on singing or rapping, I will go insane."

They all looked up in the tree Kisame was leaning against. On a branch, leaning calmly against the trunk stood a man who wore an Akatsuki cloak and a black mask with holes to his eyes. He was of slender build, and his black hair stood up in a pineapple fashion and 1, 84 tall. It was only now Bee and Sabu noted the shadow running down the tree trunk, even though light was sparse; rather nonexistent. And that shadow all the way down the trunk and made contact with Bee's. Shaka chuckled.

"Put yourself together Kisame. I will take care of this. He won't get away that easily."

Kisame snorted as Samehada began transferring chakra to him and closed the wound. Biting back his frustration, Kisame stood up.

'I don't know which I prefer. That treacherous Itachi Uchiha or this arrogant Nara. At least I knew Itachi's true powers and he didn't fire off stupid comments. On the other hand, Shaka doesn't break the party unless he is bored.'

Gritting his teeth, he glared at his partner. "Back off Shaka. This guy is mine."

Shaka looked at Kisame, then at Killer Bee. "I don't think so. This will go so much faster if we help each other. Besides… I haven't had a challenge in a while. A little exercise never harms. Ninja Art: Shadow Clone jutsu."

Killer Bee watched as another Shaka formed. But instead of the usual cloud of smoke, this Shaka formed from the original Shaka's shadow. Kisame merely snorted.

"Show off. Alright Nara, let's finish this."

Then Shaka nodded. "Yeah."

In that moment Ponta lashed out at Shaka, who jumped out of the way. By doing so, Bee was released from his jutsu. Shaka mumbled something that sounded like stupid raccoon. In the next moment, the Shadow Clone transformed into a huge snake and in matter of second had both Ponta and Sabu trapped. Kisame laughed.

"What was that Nara? Is that really all it takes to break your jutsu?"

Shaka merely glared back. "Shut it Hoshigaki. At least it wasn't me who was bested by two jounin and two chuunin. Let's do an inside out combination. A little warning though: Don't get too close to him. It would be troublesome if Samehada was about to change loyalties."

Kisame nodded. "Yeah. I'm not stupid you know."

At this Killer Bee snorted. "Oh yeah? You could have fooled me ugly dummy. Hey! That rhymes!"

Shaka sighed as Kisame prepared for his jutsu. "Troublesome. Kisame, are you ready yet? We got an octopus to catch."

Kisame smiled before executing his jutsu. "Water Element: Big Wave Explosion!"

Soon a huge a vast amount of land was covered in water, the water forming a dome. All of them were caught in the water, Kisame now merged with Samehada. But Shaka's transformed shadow clone somehow managed to keep Ponta and Sabu in the same place while the real Shaka swam to the outside of the huge water prison. Once there, he started walking calmly on the surface, searching for the chakra signatures of Kisame and their target. He smiled.

'Good. Kisame is keeping his distance. Now all we have to do is to keep the Jinchuuriki there till he loses consciousness. Geez, what a drag.'

Suddenly a part of the water went black. Shaka sighed. "Typical. Not unexpected though. An octopus will lay down a smokescreen… well ink… in order to escape a predator. Now, Kisame… are you really a shark or are you a whale? How much can you handle?"

The answer came almost instantly. Although Shaka really hadn't noticed it, they had moved away from the raccoon and Sabu. And whatever went through Bee's mind, it wasn't logical. The entire water prison broke, sending ink everywhere as Bee transformed into his complete possessed form.

Kisame landed right beside Shaka in a tree, letting out a string of colourful curses as he transformed back to his normal self. He snarled at his partner.

"Now what? You said I should keep my distance so Samehada wouldn't change loyalties. Not gonna happen in a million years and look where we are now. Do you have any more bright ideas? And what do you know about Samehada anyways?"

An unseen smirk crept over Shaka's face. "One of the benefits of being the second in command is that you are allowed to see classified information. Plus, being a former Death Dealer, I've been on several S-Rank missions. One of the missions was to take down a renegade-nin from Mist and return two scrolls. It while Mist was plagued by civil war, so they asked Leaf for help. I 'accidentally' opened a scroll containing some of the Mist's secrets, including information pertaining to the Seven Swords."

Kisame frowned before grinning. He was beginning to like the guy. "I see. But back to business. How do we deal with this if I'm not allowed to take away his chakra?"

Shaka frowned behind his mask as he contemplated their course of action. He sighed.

"How bothersome this is about to be, I guess I have to take over. It will require a lot of chakra but I think it will work. Besides: You aren't the only one able to steal chakra. Also: He won't attack us. He knows that the raccoon and other singing fool are nearby."

With that he began making a long string of hand seals at a rapid rate. "… snake, dog, horse, tiger, rat! Ninja Art: Raging Shadow Dragon!"

He pumped chakra into the faint shadow of the tree, it flared to life. Quite literally. The shadow began to burn, the fire enlarging the other trees' shadows, making them connect with each other. At that moment, the fire almost died out, but not quite. Trails of smoke could be seen as a huge black coloured shadow rose, born of the shadows. It all happened in matter of seconds. It was just as big as the Eight-Tails. The dragon had barely formed fully, before it lunged at the now fully possessed Bee. They exchanged a few blows, concluding in the dragon getting a firm grip on the Eight-Tails forelegs. That was all the dragon needed, as it made another onslaught, and after a couple of seconds, its black teeth sinking deeply into its target's skin.

The Eight-Tails let out something close to a howl as it felt the dragon's teeth sink deeper. Then it happened. The dragon began glowing red as it drained away the Eight-Tails' chakra. Shaka grunted as he felt the strain from the jutsu starting to kick in.

'Damn it all. When light is sparse, I need to use twice the amount of chakra to perform this jutsu. But at least it helps.'

He was quite right. Bee was slowly reversing back into his original size, as his own and the beast inside of him chakras were being drained. Five minutes later, Bee was back in the Eight-Tails' Cloak.

Shaka chuckled. "There we go. One last hit should do the trick."

With that he released the rat seal and Kisame watched in slight fascination as the now red glowing dragon dissolved into a huge shadow that quickly retreated to Shaka before he thrust his right hand forward, as if he was punching someone, causing his shadow to form a massive fist as it rose from the ground and sped towards Bee who stood on a treetop, panting. As the shadow moved, the fist began glowing red again. Killer Bee didn't stand a chance as the fist made contact, sending him through the air. His Eight-Tails' Cloak didn't help him much since it disappeared two seconds after the fist made contact. It was actually a quite interesting sight to behold, seeing how the Cloak tried withstanding the impact. But it was a hopeless battle and after two second, Killer Bee got airborne. Kisame smirked.

"I see now. You stored the Eight-Tails' chakra in that shadow. Then you used the chakra to increase the shadow's attack power and speed and it cancelled out the Eight-Tails' Cloak."

Shaka grunted his response and decided Bee had been airborne long enough. He was already 125 metres away and still flying. Stretching his shadow even more, the shadow soon caught up to Killer Bee and grabbed him tightly around the ankles. Shaka moved his right hand as if using a whip, causing the shadow to carry Killer Bee 10 metres more, before the pull back to Shaka came. And it was rather rough. Killer Bee was hurtled through the trees on his way back, seeing how Shaka didn't bother keeping him in the air. He hit the base of the tree Shaka and Kisame was standing in with a very audible thud and crack. Sighing, the Akatsuki members jumped down, Shaka's shadow returning to its original form as its owner descended. They both landed silently, six feet from the unconscious Killer Bee, his breath coming in shallow heaves.

Kisame chuckled.

"Impressive Nara. For a moment I actually thought you were being too rough. But he seems to be fine."

A dry smile swept over his lips as Shaka fell to his left leg, panting slightly. "What's the matter? I thought you absorbed chakra?"

Shaka cursed in his mind, but after calming himself and his breath, he answered with a chuckle. Although it was strained.

"I guess I formulated it wrong. I steal their chakra, but unlike you, I can't convert it into stamina or to replenish my own reserves. I can use it to improve my attacks and defence or save some of my own chakra by using the one I stole. But even then I have to put a certain amount of my own chakra in order to keep the jutsu active."

Kisame nodded his understanding. "I see. Shall I carry Jinchuuriki?"

"_**No need. I will take him to a safe location. Good job, Kisame, Shaka. The Leader will be pleased.**_"

Shaka smiled behind his mask as Zetsu emerged. "Yeah. Troublesome as it was, we got him. How did the Kage Summit go?"

"It could have gone better. But it could have gone worse too."

Kisame frowned. It wasn't like Zetsu to answer like that. "What happened? Did Spirit blow his cover?"

Zetsu shook his head. "If only it was that. An alliance of the Five Great Villages to fight us was stopped, but we failed in killing the Kages. Even Mordred's numbers was bested. Or rather: We were forced to abort the mission."

Now Kisame was really confused and curious. "What? Even Mordred's hideous creatures were beaten? That is really something."

"Perhaps. For an ordinary ninja, yes. But the opponent turned out to be a ninja of legend, The Night Lord, Dracula. Once Mordred realized this, he passed on the news. We fled the scene while we had the chance."

Zetsu's black part continued. "_**And it appears the Hokage, Danzou, fled too. But enough about that. Prepare for extraction. And get rid of the witness and his pet.**_"

With that he took up Killer Bee, closed his mantle and sunk into the ground, taking their captive with him. Kisame smiled.

"So the rumours are true. Dracula is on the move again. Anyways, shall I kill the witness and the raccoon so you can rest?"

Shaka frowned for a moment. He did need the rest, no doubt about that. Then he grinned. "Nah, let them live. Besides, I got an idea."

After rummaging his robes for a minute, he chuckled. "Knew I had it somewhere. Find that singing fool and his pet and give him this. Hopefully he will run directly to the Raikage."

Kisame looked down at the item Shaka handed him. Then he laughed. It was a Leaf Village headband. Without a scratch.

00000  
__

Dracula found Hades sitting near a lake in Fire Country. Well, not sitting on the ground, but in midair, legs crossed. He didn't know what the worst was. Hades' fury or the fact that he couldn't read his mind. But from the looks of it, Hades just seemed to be looking across the lake, resting. Dracula sighed.

'Better tell him now.'

"Hades… I have been looking for you. The plan was a success. It actually went better than I thought. The Five Great Villages will soon send out ninjas to take you into custody for their own reasons. It seems your informant inside Akatsuki is reliable."

Hades slowly turned around in order to face his sensei. "Yes. I told you so, didn't I? Now: What level can I expect to fight?"

Dracula chuckled. "Forgive me Hades, but I only classified you as A-Rank."

At this Hades met Dracula's gaze, a mix of blue, green, red and white staring into Dracula's red eyes. Hades let out a snort, clearly displeased. "A-Rank? You disappoint me Sensei."

Dracula let out a laugh. "Sorry Hades, but I didn't want to scare them away. Now tell me: Why do you have your Jigokugan active? Couldn't you and your subordinates handle Rain without it?"

Now it was Hades turn to chuckle. Although it was forced. "We could. But I wanted to save time and to be sure that no trace of Pain was left. The Jigokugan ensured that."

He sighed.

"But as you know, everything in this world has a weakness, restraint or limit. Every human, animal, plant, jutsu, Bloodline Limit or ancient artefacts are bound by that. Even we can't escape that. The restraint of mine Jigokugan, as it is now, is that once active, I can't deactivate it for 168 hours, or to put more simply: For one week. One week where it use my chakra. I can limit the amount chakra that's consumed by closing my eyes, but I'm trying to see if I can cut down the hours it's active. I'm sure I can accomplish it."

Dracula smiled. "I'm sure you can. That is very interesting. So tell me: What is the weakness of the Rinnegan?"

Dracula could almost imagine Hades' smile. "Not now, Dracula-sensei."

Dracula let out a sigh of annoyance and amusement. "All right. I can take a hint. Would you then please tell me why you chose Rain as your target?"

Hades looked at his sensei for a moment, contemplating his answer. After two minutes, he responded.

"Akatsuki has been gaining much power. More than we can tolerate if the balance of power is to be kept. They will join the war to come too. So we had to weaken their position, if only a little. I couldn't kill some off their members as that would disturb the balance too much. Hideouts and resources are near impossible targets. Only target left was their economy. As you know, Pain was the former leader of Akatsuki with high seat in Rain. Even with Pain gone, Hidden Rain continued to contribute to Akatsuki's income."

Hades was silent for another minute. "You know this. To achieve victory, there are several essential points that must be taken from your enemy. 1: Resources like weapons, food, supplies. 2: Hideouts so the enemy can't hide, operate and recruit. 3: Economy. A mean to recruit reinforcements, train your army and buy resources. 4: The enemy's soldiers. Explains itself."

Dracula nodded at this. Hades looked at him for a moment before speaking.

"A-Rank, eh? That means they will send jounin and ANBU after me. Very well. Which village will be the first to send out their challenge?"

Dracula was silent for a minute. When he replied, he sounded a bit wary. "Probably Hidden Leaf as they will use you to avoid a war. But seeing how they are weakened by Akatsuki's attack, I guess they will send a three man squad containing of either one jounin and two chuunin or two jounin and one chuunin. I doubt they will send ANBU to begin with. Now, you must have me excused. I still need to repair the damages we caused during our last sparring in Darkos. And I will try getting more information on our mysterious Uchiha."

Hades remained silent and Dracula took off into the sky. Hades muttered something under his breath. Something along the lines of: "Only jounin and chuunin? Give me at least a challenge would you?"

11111

Three hours passed and Hades hadn't moved an inch after returning to look across the lake. He sighed as he felt a presence behind him. 'Only one? I don't think so.'

Turning to face the trees behind him, he spoke. "Come out of your hiding, Kabuto. I know you're there."

Kabuto stepped out, wearing a cloak like the one he wore two years ago when he posed as loyal to Sasori. His voice and face betrayed no emotion, but Hades could tell Kabuto was nervous, if only slightly.

"Greetings, Hades-sama. All well I…"

"Cut the chit-chat Kabuto. What do you want?"

Kabuto gulped slightly, hoping it went unnoticed by Hades. That, and the bead of sweat that ran down his neck.

"Very well. Orochimaru-sama wants to renegotiate your agreement. He doesn't think you teaching him to master the Sharingan in exchange for getting information on the Uchiha were a fair deal."

Hades allowed a small unseen smirk to cross his face. 'Just as I predicted.' "So what does he want to give me? No, better yet: What can I offer?"

"Well, you could handle over that body of yours!"

Hades' smirk grew an inch as he spun around and parried a punch from the snake Sannin as the latter appeared behind him. Orochimaru licked his lips with that abnormal tongue of his, and using Hades' left arm as leverage, jumped over Hades, trying to get him from behind. Hades, however, had other ideas. Although he had his eyes closed, he could feel the vibrations in the air. Standing on his left foot, he spun around and aimed a kick at Orochimaru's face with his right. Orochimaru barely managed to jump backwards and block it with both arms, but even then the kick had so much force that it sent him flipping backwards through the air, towards where Kabuto stood where Orochimaru landed gracefully on his feet. He licked his lips, smiling and looking at Hades with his normal eyes, desire visible.

"Superb. You didn't even use those eyes of yours, yet you blocked my attack. What I would offer you: Kabuto's medical skills. With his help, you could an even better vision. What I would have in return: Only all of the secrets of the Mangekyou Sharingan."

At this Hades snorted. "I doubt Kabuto could do that. The Jigokugan can't be improved with surgery, and I would rather not have that kid trifle with my body. As for the Mangekyou Sharingan: why don't you ask one of your Uchiha friends? Besides, I don't have any use of you now. I already got all I wanted from you and more than that. So I think I will decline your offer."

Orochimaru frowned slightly. "Explain yourself."

Hades chuckled silently as he saw Orochimaru tense up. Readying himself for the impending fight, he replied.

"That deal was a ruse to cover my true intentions. You gave me information about that wandering Uchiha while I taught you how to use the Sharingan. However, what I really wanted was to get my sensei of my back for a while and you provided the distraction needed: That Uchiha has proved to be a very good distraction. Plus, I have been able to keep an eye on what you have been doing. You know the saying, don't you? Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies even closer."

Orochimaru's eyes widened slightly, and Kabuto frowned. Activating his Sharingan, Orochimaru hissed. "So… you used me as a pawn in your own game of chess?"

Hades gave a short nod. "Exactly. In the game of chess, the pawns' importance is ambiguous. They are both the weakest and strongest pieces on the board. One pawn can mean the difference between victory and defeat. Just as one foot soldier can mean the entire difference in a war."

That was the last draw for Orochimaru. Seething with anger and Sharingan blazing, he spoke, venom lacing every word.

"So… I'm just a pawn to you, eh? Well, this pawn will be the one to overthrow you!"

Hades grinned. "I doubt that. But please, take a shot. Set me checkmate if you will. If you can set me in check at all, that is."

Orochimaru didn't bother responding with words to the insult. Instead he drew his sword from his mouth and charged, intending to cleave him in two. One second later, the sound of steel against steel could be heard as Hades blocked the attack with a sword of his own. His sword was a single-edged one and slightly longer than your standard katana. But was fascinated Orochimaru was the fact that the blade was red as blood except for five centimetres which was black as coal. They both held their stances with both hands holding their swords, until Orochimaru put more force into it, causing them to come face to face, their swords between them; Orochimaru's almost vertically while Hades held his horizontally. Leaning in, Orochimaru hissed into Hades' face.

"I will show you what happens when you make me angry. Check."

Hades slowly opened his eyes, Jigokugan staring into Sharingan. "Not even close."

Before Orochimaru could get a clear view of the eyes within the darkness of the hood, Hades gave a push with his sword, sending Orochimaru several feet backwards. Quickly regaining his balance, Orochimaru glared at his opponent, the air thick was with the murderous intent both combatants gave off. The ground began trembling and stone rose from the ground, and a few trees began splintering as the fighters gathered their chakra, whirling their swords with such speed that made the blades become blurry. Then they stopped swirling their swords, tips one inch from each other. The fight was about to begin.

End chapter 13


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Dark Clash! Orochimaru vs. Hades!

Orochimaru and Hades stared at each other for a second before moving. One second they were there, the next they were gone just to reappear, positions changed and blades pushing against each other. Kabuto watched in fascination as their display of swordsman skill got more intense, but also more graceful. Their fight was almost like a dance. They ducked, parried, thrust, jabbed, swung, kicked and punched, without being able to hit the other. If Kabuto didn't know any better, he would have said they were just sparring, but from the deadly intent rolling of them, one would have to be insane to suggest something like that.

It was then it happened. Orochimaru jumped over Hades, ready to attack him from behind. But instead of turning around, Hades simply kicked backwards, his timing slightly disturbing as his booted foot made contact with Orochimaru's chest, sending the snake Sannin through a couple of trees before he landed gracefully on his feet. The Sannin licked his lips as he watched Hades' sword seemed to glide up Hades' sleeve and disappear.

"A wonderful sword you got there. I can tell it's no ordinary sword, just like mine. Is it a sword of legend? You know, like an artefact? Or is like Kisame Hoshigaki's Samehada?"

Hades slowly turned around, his voice emotionless. "My sword, Bloodshed, acknowledges none but me as its wielder. It's crafted with blood and chakra. That's all you need to know."

Orochimaru chuckled as he placed his sword in his right hand. "How rude. All I did was ask a question. Oh well. I will take a closer look at it soon enough. Multiple Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

A small torrent of snakes shot out of Orochimaru's left sleeve and in matter of seconds, they had wrapped themselves tightly around Hades, some of them biting him near his neck. Orochimaru cackled and licked his lips.

"Not so cocky now, are we? I can't wait to see what kind of secrets your body contains."

With that he drew his arm backwards, sword at the ready to impale Hades. Hades, however, had other ideas. Orochimaru's eyes went wide when he saw something he thought was impossible. Hades began spinning, regardless of the snakes' hold on him, green flames engulfing him. But as it wasn't enough the flames burned the snakes to crisps, Orochimaru recognized the purple colour of the snake's poison was blown out. He smiled.

'I see. Aside from providing an impressive shield, those flames expel and thus negate any additional effects an attack inflicts. Very nice.'

However, his smile was wiped from his face when Hades appeared in front of him. Locking eyes with Orochimaru, Hades took a firm grip around Orochimaru's wrist, and snarled.

"You… doing research on my body and my sword? Tempting, but I think I will decline."

With that he kicked Orochimaru in the chest, sending him through several trees. And if that wasn't enough, the combined force of Hades' grip and his kick was so powerful that Orochimaru's arm were ripped off, blood spilling everywhere.

Orochimaru felt his back hit a tree and a dull pain in his chest. Looking down, he saw a broken branch sticking through his right lung. But before he could utter a curse, he heard a whistling sound.

He frowned slightly. 'That sound… so familiar.'

But before he could deduce why the sound was so familiar, he saw something shining in the moonlight before he felt something cold pierce his left lung. Looking down again, his eyes went wide. It was his sword. Looking at Hades, over 150 feet away, he cursed silently.

"Impossible. He threw the sword with such accuracy over such a distance? Moreover, it came so fast I wasn't able to see it was coming. But he is not the only one with tricks up his sleeve."

With that he slumped over. Hades narrowed his eyes and was about to take a step towards Orochimar when he felt someone approach from behind. He sighed, clearly annoyed, as he blocked the incoming attack without turning around.

"Kabuto, unless you have a death wish, I suggest you stop being foolish. You are no match for me. You never were, and never will be."

Kabuto smirked. "Arrogant as always Hades-sama. Didn't you notice that I stroke with my chakra scalpel?"

"I did. Yet you fail to notice that I my hand is still connected to my arm. I think you need to polish your glasses."

Kabuto frowned. Hades was right. More than that. His wrist wasn't damaged at all, the skin on his hands the same colour as a corpse and nails something between black and blue.

"How can this be right?"

Hades chuckled, his voice devoid of any humour. "You still don't understand? Here, allow me to help you out."

As he stopped speaking, a thin layer of green flames started dancing around Hades' hand. "These flames are, as you probably have figured out by now, no ordinary flames. They are flames from the Underworld itself, on par if not stronger than the fire from the sun, when it comes to terms of power. Final warning: Back off. It isn't you I want to fight."

Kabuto started sweating, but was smart enough to follow the suggestion. He practically ran as he wanted to put as much distance between himself and the battle that was about to ensue. Hades nodded as he felt Kabuto run across the lake, away from the battle. He narrowed his eyes at Orochimaru before closing them, and calling out.

"You can drop the act, Orochimaru. I know you aren't dead and it takes more than that to take you down. So stop playing dead."

Orochimaru chuckled dryly, but loud enough for Hades to hear. "Impressive. Seems nothing deceives those eyes of yours, is that correct?"

With that Orochimaru's mouth went wide and with a barfing sound, a new Orochimaru pushed his way out, covered in slime. Retrieving his sword and putting it back into his mouth, he spoke again.

"Come on my dear boy, you can tell me. Your secret will remain a secret with me."

At this Hades laughed. "Sure. Orochimaru, the only ones who tells the truth are those who have passed on from this life. And even then that won't always be the case. But sure, why not?"

He sighed, waiting for Orochimaru to make his move as he felt him build up his chakra."One of the abilities of these eyes is very much like the one of the Byakugan. But instead of seeing your chakra system, I see all of your blood vessels. Arteries and veins alike. Also, I'm able to see body heat. Your temperature stood out like a lighthouse in the dark against the surface of that tree. But, like the Byakugan, I have a 360 degree line of vision, but I don't have its range."

Orochimaru smiled. "I see."

That was all the warning Hades got from Orochimaru before a huge wave of serpents with swords in their mouths burst through from the Sannin's mouth. Hades just snorted.

"Is that all?"

Then he formed the dog seal and blew out a cloud of black fog that was big enough to cover the wave of snakes. Once they came into contact with the fog, they turned a sick colour of black and dark blue and grey, and life left their eyes. And the moment the serpents hit the ground, or another serpent, they vanished in black smoke. Hades chuckled as the fog lifted.

"Sulphur. Deadly in massive doses."

Orochimaru smiled. "I see. But this is far from over."

Hades nodded. "True. And now… it's time I go on the offensive."

Orochimaru tensed, but to his surprise, Hades began making flip-flops at a rapid speed. What Orochimaru failed to notice was that every time Hades had his back to him, he was making seals. When Hades was about 100 metres away, Orochimaru's eyes went wide when he felt the amount of chakra Hades was about to release. He quickly bit his thumbs, just hard enough to draw blood, before slamming his palms into the ground, just as Hades made the last hand seals.

"… bird, horse, tiger! Fire Element: White Phoenix Fire jutsu!"

"Triple Rashomon!"

Orochimaru barely got a view of the flames erupting from Hades' mouth before his monstrous defence rose in front of him, cutting off his line of sight. But he managed to notice they were completely white.

11111

Hades finished his seals just as Orochimaru summoned his defence. The flames he breathed were so hot they turned white the instant they left his mouth. They shot forward with such speed that two seconds later, they had crossed the distance between Hades and the first gate. And just as with Orochimaru's serpent wave, the longer away they got from their start point, the area they covered increased. And three seconds after they hit Orochimaru's defences, said defences were reduced to ashes, as the flames just washed over them like a wave.

Looking at the scorched ground and the burning trees his attack had left in its wake, seeing how the flames had been hot enough to ignite trees within 10 metres from the flames, Hades spoke, bemusement evident in his voice.

"Would you look at that? I missed."

Before he could utter another word, the ground under him began moving as one of Orochimaru's snakes broke forth, sending Hades high into the air, before it rose high enough to swallow him whole.

Orochimaru licked his mouth as he too emerged from the ground. Or rather, his head and neck did."That was close indeed. To think he actually destroyed my defences with one fire technique."

But if Orochimaru thought he had won, he was in for a big surprise. The lake suddenly became alive. Literally. A serpent, just as big as Orochimaru's, and made purely of water, rose from the lake and attacked the snake that had swallowed Hades. The monsters battled for a short while, until the water serpent got a firm grip around Orochimaru's summon and dragged it underwater. Or at least its head. Orochimaru watched in slight fascination as his summon began swelling up, just to burst into water one minute later. He licked his lips.

"Wonderful. Hades-kun, you never cease to amaze me. I haven't had a fight as interesting as this for a while."

As the water serpent rose again, Hades stood on its head, clearly pissed. "Thank you. But it's time to stop fooling around. Time to finish this."

Orochimaru laughed. "Indeed dear boy. But you won't like how this end. Summoning jutsu!"

His monster of a snake, or rather three snakes in one body was summoned into existence, Orochimaru on the head in the middle. Hades sighed and opened his eyes.

"This is getting annoying. Now… let's finish this. Earth Summoning: Mountain Snake!"

Orochimaru cursed. He had been so transfixed by Hades' words and his eyes that he failed to notice Hades weaving seals. He was rewarded by his lack of observation when the ground beneath him shook violently before a serpent made of rock and stone rose from the ground and lunged at him. It would have snapped the one he was standing on if he hadn't used a wind element in its face. But Hades was far from done. The water snake lowered itself while Hades jumped to stand on the rock serpent. Both serpents reeled back, just to move swiftly forward, opening their mouths. The water serpent sent a torrent of water, while the one made of stone delivered oil followed by Hades breathing fire. The flames set the oil ablaze and the stream of water hit the torrent of burning oil. Result: A large scale version of Fire Element: Mythical Firebird jutsu. Orochimaru's summon never stood a chance as it was hit. But Hades wasn't done yet.

"Fire Summoning: Burning Cobra!"

The fire in the vicinity gathered and formed a burning serpent, leaving black marks on everywhere and Orochimaru's snake burned to ashes. Hades chuckled.

"I will make sure no one questions my victory. What do you say, Orochimaru? Why don't we settle this with taijutsu, seeing how we won't fall for genjutsu. Or rather: Your eyes make you understand them and thus enable you to dispel them while mine make me immune."

With that the fire snake dissolved into nothing, its rock cousin crumbled and the water returned back to the lake. Orochimaru was ready when Hades attacked. He parried the two first punches with ease, but the third ran straight through Orochimaru's defences. From there it was pretty much like watching a dog play with a rat. Of course Orochimaru was able to block and dodge some of the attacks, but seven to eight out of 10 hit their marks. They weren't hard enough to send him to the ground, but hard enough to make him stumble. Orochimaru panted as he finally got a little distance between himself and Hades, who just watched him calmly. Orochimaru cursed in his mind, panting slightly.

'Why can't I keep up? I haven't been hit so many times since Tsunade five or six years ago. But… she couldn't kill me and neither will this boy!'

With that he opened his mouth and his tongue shot out. Hades narrowed his gaze at the tongue and just as it was about to wrap around his neck, he moved. He quickly wrapped the tongue around his left arm and took a firm grip on the tongue, before giving one hard pull, causing Orochimaru to fly towards him. Hades chuckled.

"Nice try Orochimaru. But not good enough."

When Orochimaru was within reach, Hades gave him a hard uppercut, making the Sannin bite his own tongue. Hades released his hold and dealt one powerful kick to the Snake Sannin's chest, sending him through one tree before he came to a halt against the next. Orochimaru glared at his opponent 20 feet away. But before he could utter one word, he found a boot planted in his face, pressing his head into the trunk. When the foot was removed, he stared up at the eyes of his opponent. Eyes that held more malice than his own. Orochimaru snarled as Hades was about to speak to him.

"You can't kill me. And I will get that body and thus those eyes of yours. I will become the ultimate being!"

Hades shook his head. "No you won't. There is a saying: The higher you climb, the harder you fall. Orochimaru, you should have settled with obtaining the Sharingan. But it's human's nature to desire more as they get more. So of course you would want my Jigokugan. Orochimaru… I will let you live. But I will give you credit: You lasted longer than Itachi Uchiha would."

He seemed to think a moment before speaking.

"Therefore, I will reward you: He has the Totsuka Longsword in his possession. And the Yata shield. I saw it during his fight with the other Akatsuki members. I will grant you a one-shot counter. You can call it a one-shot Mangekyou Sharingan technique. But be warned. The moment you activate it, your Sharingan will be sealed away."

As Hades stopped talking, his eyes flared with a bright red and blue. Orochimaru let out a little gasp of pain as he felt the skin around his eyes burn, just to cool down until only a dull throb remain. Running two slim fingers around his eyes, he found a circle with four tomoes burned into his skin. Looking up at Hades, he licked his lips and smiled.

"You must be a fool. You just gave me a weapon of immense power, after I tried to steal your body. But I don't see what it will help against a shield that reflects every attack."

Hades ignored the insult, closed his eyes and turned around. "Everything that exists in this world has a weakness, restraint on use and a counter. Everything from the most lethal poison to artifacts are bound by that."

He took a couple of steps away from Orochimaru before stopping. "One more thing: I could kill now, but I won't. Your death will come in the form of the most deadly thing in the world: In the form of a woman. Goodbye… Orochimaru."

With that he vanished in a burst of green fire, leaving behind a very disbelieving Orochimaru. However, soon a mirthful laughter escaped the Snake Sannin's mouth.

00000

Naruto woke in the morning after New Year's Eve, covered in sweat and panting heavily. Getting out of his bed, he went to his bathroom. Looking into the mirror, he saw how pale he was. Suddenly, he dived for the toilet and emptied his stomach in it. He cursed under his breath.

"Guess that's the punishment for getting too drunk last night. Still… that nightmare…"

His train of thoughts were disrupted when he had to puke again. When he was done, he pulled off his boxers with hearts on them and entered the shower. As he felt the water run down his body, he thought back to the nightmare. It had no made no sense at all. The scene had shifted from him eating ramen till the sight of two feminine forms lying dead for the feet of a man in a cloak. And when the man had lifted his gaze, Naruto had been met with eyes that held pure venom. And then Naruto had woken up. He sighed in annoyance.

"Those eyes… why can't I remember what they look like?"

He finished his shower and got another couple of boxers on. He was just about to pull on a t-shirt when Rin entered his room.

"Naruto-kun, the Hokage has returned. He requests you, Sakura and Hinata-san for a mission briefing."

Naruto frowned, ignoring the fact he only had his boxers with frogs on. 'A mission? Already?'

His expression changed when he noted Rin's sad expression. "Rin-neechan, what's wrong?"

Rin shook her head sadly. "We're in war with Hidden Cloud and Rock. The message came twenty minutes ago. All chuunin and jounin are now to wear the traditional chuunin/jounin uniform. Here, I brought one with me. Cute boxers by the way."

She smirked as Naruto blushed. Winking, she left the clothes on a chair and walked out. Muttering under his breath, Naruto slipped in it and to his surprise, they fit him perfectly.

As he walked down past the common room, he heard Anki, ask a question.

"Itachi-niisan, where does babies come from?"

That question was followed by something, or rather someone, crashing to the ground. Soon after Sakumo was heard asking.

"Itachi-niisan? Why are you on the floor? And why leg and eyebrow twitching? Is it because you don't know it either?"

Laughing his ass off at Itachi's predicament, Naruto continued his on his way to the Hokage Tower.

00000

Hinata, Naruto and Sakura stood in their chuunin/jounin uniforms, facing Danzou behind the desk. Danzou's voice was calm as he spoke.

"Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno and Hinata Hyuuga. As you perhaps know, we are now in war against the Hidden Cloud and Hidden Rock. We was set-up at the Kage Summit. As it's now, we don't have the power to win and Sand has yet to respond to our request for aid. However, a source tells me that this man's testimony will be enough to ensure the peace. Or at least a ceasefire till all threads have been sorted out."

He handed them the photo Dracula gave him."His name is Hades and, according to my source, he always wears that cloak. Your mission is to locate this man, apprehend him, and get him back to this village, alive. It's an A-rank to S-rank mission. Naruto Uzumaki, you will be the squad leader for this mission. Any questions?"

They shook their heads.

"Good. You leave in one hour. Dismissed."

The three teenagers nodded and left the office

00000

One hour later, Naruto found himself chuckling nervously as they were ready to move out. "Hinata-chan and Sakura-chan, I know this might prove a little troublesome, but I will need you to get along. At least for this mission. Do you think you can do that?"

Both girls glared at each other, before smiling. "Yes, Naruto-kun. For the sake of the mission and for you, we can."

Naruto laughed. "Good! As long as we work together, nothing can stop us! Hades is going down!"

With that they set off, ready to kick their target's ass. Naruto smirked.

'Hades, you better come freely. Otherwise you will get you ass kicked, believe it!'

End chapter 14


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Things Darken.

They had been searching for days, using Hinata's Byakugan and Naruto's ninja hounds. So far, they had found nothing. The locals were to no help at all. No one had ever heard of Hades. What they found slightly disturbing was the number of Rock and, although not so many, Cloud ninja they had seen. Both alive and dead. And the dead ones weren't a pretty sight. Some had, quite literally, lost their heads while others had lost their hearts. Add to that every one they had found or, seen surrounded by allies, looked like the assailant had done it with his bare hands and with such precision that it almost was ridiculous.

They were currently resting at hot spring resort, trying to release some stress. Or at least Naruto was. On more than one occasion he had almost got caught in the crossfire between the two kunoichi. Actually, scratch that. He had been caught in the crossfire once, therefore the reason for them spending the day at the hot spring. Grumbling, Naruto lowered himself into the hot water, wincing when the water made contact with a certain area.

"Damn that stung. Note to myself: Don't get between two angry kunoichi, it hurts."

And hurt it did. In an attempt to stop the two girls from beating each other up, Naruto had jumped in between. Unfortunately for him, he forgot to gather his legs as both girls kicked. Result: A chakra enhanced kick between the legs combined with a Gentle Fist attack or foot if you will, from Hinata. Needless to say, Naruto felt like hell. Especially because Hinata's kick had, for some reason, made the already sensitive area even more sensitive, thus increasing the pain he felt. And to finish the picture, he had been singing "Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle all the way!" right before he had been hit. He had been out cold for five or ten minutes and once he got up, Hinata and Sakura were bickering who should heal him. That didn't exactly help him, so he suggested they stopped at the nearest hot spring resort. It would give them a chance to relax and make strategies for their encounter with Hades. If they found him that is.

After a couple of hours, Naruto got out of the water, wanting to get something to eat. As he reached the dressing room, he saw a couple of guys in their thirties or forties, about to hit the hot spring.

"Yeah, less than ten miles from here, westbound. Rumour is that the guy called himself Hades. He was fighting a group of Rock ninja. And then…"

The last of the conversation was drowned out as they closed the door, leaving a perplex Naruto behind. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he quickly searched the guys' clothes. As he suspected, they were ninjas, their headbands giving them away as Hidden Grass. Making sure the clothes were positioned the same way before his rummage, he quickly got dressed, wanting to eat and share this new information with the girls as soon as possible.

00000

The Akatsuki members watched in silence as they extracted the Eight-Tails from its host. The projection of Kisame glanced around before settling his gaze at the vacant left middle.

"Say, where are our newest member? Another Uchiha, was it?"

Sagato shifted his attention to Kisame. "Yes. He is occupied for the moment. With a mission."

Kisame chuckled. "Oh? And what kind of mission would that be? Obtaining the Nine-Tails?"

Sagato shook his head, although it was barely perceptible. "No. It has to do with why we were forced to retreat. Mordred will explain."

Kisame shifted his gaze to the Nazgûl on the right middle. Said man spoke up. "As you know, the mission was partly a success. We managed to play the Kages out against each other, thus stopping an alliance against us from forming. Unfortunately, we failed in killing any of them. For unknown reasons, Dracula Vampire was at the meeting too. We were forced to retreat unless we wanted a battle with him."

Zetsu spoke up. "_**Speaking of Dracula. His spies are getting harder and harder to slip by. But I managed to dig up something slightly disturbing. In the stories about him, he always works alone, but this time he has brought company of unknown power.**_"

His white part took over. "Also, it seems the Hidden Leaf, with a lot of help from Sand, is pretty much fit for fight. Only things like electricity to the civilians and those kinds of things are missing. But the most interesting is that the Nine-Tails' host is outside the village."

Shaka, his projection standing tall on the right ring finger of the statue, finally found a reason to engage in conversation."Should we engage in combat and capture the Nine-Tails then?"

The second Necromancer, Spirit, spoke from his position on the left index. "That would be unwise. Cloud ninjas are roaming the Fire Country since the Raikage declared war against Leaf. Also, the Hokage has begun sending out squadrons in order to stop the Cloud ninja. There have already been several skirmishes. Bottom line is, if spotted, you risk getting both Leaf and Cloud on your tail. That or getting caught in the crossfire. You should know that, Nara."

Shaka merely send a glare at the Nazgûl's direction. "I can take care of myself, Necromancer."

Spirit chuckled. Even though their voices were distorted, he could still hear the disgust and venom in Shaka's voice. "I don't doubt that, Nara. Just saying that it could turn out to be quite troublesome for you."

Before Shaka could retort, Deidara cut in. "Enough about that, yeah. That traitor to Itachi mentioned this Dracula two years when we tried extracting the Nine-Tails. What do we do if he makes a move that could prove dangerous to us, hmm?"

Mordred and Spirit chuckled, their voices being distorted just made them even more sinister. Spirit spoke for them both.

"Relax Deidara. Mordred and I were recruited in case a situation like this should arise. We were forced to flee this time around, but only because we were unprepared for him. It won't happen again. But it will be harder without the rest of our kinsmen."

Kisame joined the conversation again. "What about the Uchiha? Is he up for the challenge?"

Mordred shifted his head slightly, looking at Kisame. "Don't worry. He is more than qualified. Spirit and I would know, considering how we taught him. Besides, he got good genes."

Sagato spoke up, just as the last of the Eight-Tails' chakra was siphoned away and Bee fell to the ground, dead. "It's finished. We will lay low for now and look how things develop. However, Zetsu, you won't. I need you to keep an eye out for the Nine-Tails. Don't engage him though."

They all nodded. "Understood."

"Good. Dismissed."

With that the astral projections disappeared along with the sealing statue, leaving Bee's corpse in the grotto to rot.

00000

Walking swiftly down the torch lit corridor, without making a sound, he approached his goal. He smiled behind his mask. He had already sensed the guards hiding behind the pillars and the two blocking the door. One nonchalant movement of his arms and he released eight shuriken and two kunai from his sleeves. The shuriken hit their targets behind the eight pillars and they fell out in two perfect lines, four from each side, while the two guarding the door fell forward, kunai embedded in their throats. When within six feet from the door, he raised his hand slightly, and for some reason, it burst open, hitting the floor with a loud crash. As he walked through the door, he raised his hand again, causing the two guards behind it to fly against the wall. He smirked behind his orange mask as he saw the scroll in the middle of the room and began walking towards it.

"Too easy. But at least I got that Vampire off my back."

Then he felt it. A strong chakra signature to his right. He quickly released a barrage of senbons from his right sleeve as he raised his right hand against the newcomer. The number of senbons and the speed they were flung with should have made them unavoidable. So he was a little surprised when the sound of steel against steel was heard and the clattering when the senbons fell to the stone floor. Spinning around, he barely dodged a single-edged red knife that would have pierced his throat. Yet it managed to take away some strands of hair. As he knelt down, he formed seals before exhaling several fireballs, illuminating the circular room.

The man with the mask cursed under his breath for several reasons. Firstly, because the one he was fighting simply bashed the fireballs away. Secondly because the door was the only escape route out of there, except the small hole in the ceiling, bathing the scroll in eerie silver light. Other than that he was met by stone walls all around him and the ceiling was almost thirty feet above his head. All that he noted in the fraction of a second. He cursed even more when he realized that he stood near the middle of the room. In other words, fifty feet from his way out. And when he recognized the chakra signature as his pursuer, he felt like kicking someone.

"Damnit. It was too easy. Should have realized it was a trap. Let me guess: That scroll is protected by a mark that will alert you if anyone are attempting to steal it, isn't it?"

Dracula chuckled as he stepped out of the shadows, eyeing the Akatsuki member with the orange mask. "Nice observation. And yes, you're completely right. But I must admit I'm impressed. One thing is that Zetsu of Akatsuki can slip past my spies, but for you to have evaded me so long… is quite a feat… Uchiha. Then again, I guess I should expect nothing less from a full member of Akatsuki and an Uchiha at that. Now… let's get down to business."

The Uchiha chuckled as he began disappearing. "I think I'm going to decline. So no thank…!"

In the next instant, he had reappeared completely and was solid, being pressed up against the wall by three of Dracula's fingers on the side of his throat while his left arm was being locked on his back and his face being pressed against the wall. Or at least the left part.

Dracula hissed dangerously, pressing a little harder with his fingers; index, middle and ring.

"It wasn't a request, _boy_. I have some questions and I want answers. But before you ask how I stopped your teleporting away, I will answer you. This room is infused with my chakra, slowly affecting your blood circulation. Right now, I'm controlling your blood flow completely. Like it or not, but with me controlling your blood, you aren't going anywhere. So you might as well start talking, for the sun never reaches in here. That, and I know a lot of torture methods, some I have invented on my own. Living for thousands of years can do that to you. So start talking, _boy_"

The Uchiha grinned behind his mask. "First tell what that scrolls contain. We can play a little game. I ask you one question, you answer it and then you got to ask a question. What do you say?"

His cockiness was rewarded when the ground started cracking as Dracula's murderous intent rolled of him in waves. Even the battle hardened Uchiha had to swallow slightly when he felt Dracula increase his pressure and tighten his grip.

"Do you think I'm going to play games with you, you little brat? If that is the case, you're sadly mistaken. But I guess it can't hurt to tell you what is in that scroll. It's my family tree, starting with me, my brother Jashin and our sister Lucinda and who we married. Then comes our sons and daughters and who they married or got children with. And so it continues down through generations. Now… time for my questions."

Wincing slightly, the Uchiha eyed the scroll. 'Family tree? Well, it explains why it is so big and thick.'

Dracula's hissing close to his ear brought him out of his train of thought."Before we start, let me warn you. I can sense from your blood if you are lying, so don't do that if you values your life. Now, let's us begin. What is your name? Your chakra signature is very close to Madara Uchiha's, but it is too young. Yet you utilize his time and space ninjutsu. So who are you and what is your connection to Madara Uchiha?"

Not wanting to feel Dracula's full fury, the Uchiha gave in and decided to tell the truth. "The name is Vader. Vader Uchiha. As for my connection to Madara… well, he is, or rather was, my grandfather."

Dracula tightened his grip and increased his pressure on his throat slightly. "Madara's grandchild, huh? Interesting. Didn't see that one coming. No wonder your chakra signature is so close to being identical. But that doesn't explain why you are able to use that jutsu. It isn't something that is hereditary you know. So you might as well just spill it."

Vader mentally sighed. 'Should have known I wouldn't get off the hook so easily.' "To make a long story short, I found my grandfather's corpse before Akatsuki did. So I took a little of his blood and thus more of his genes and chakra."

Dracula frowned slightly. 'I must be slipping to let such information escape me. That, or my spies aren't focused enough.'

"I see. That partly explains why you are able to use the jutsu. But that breeds two questions: How and why."

Vader chuckled dryly. "Why? For one of the oldest reasons in the world: Vengeance. I wanted, and still want, to punish those who killed my grandfather. That's partly why I joined Akatsuki. I want to ruin and kill my grandfather's killers. Well, since Kakashi Hatake is dead, I guess I will just have to take it out on Itachi alone. The other reason is that I want to see my grandfather's plan come to fruition."

Dracula tightened his grip again, almost breaking the bone. "Interesting. But you didn't answer how. Even with chakra transfusion during operations and such, your body will automatically adjust or transform the foreign chakra to the body's own chakra frequency. In other words, the foreign chakra will be made your own, erasing even the slightest trait from the one giving it to you. Or at least with mortals transferring it to mortals."

Again, Vader chuckled. "Your knowledge is impressive. And that is when my connection with Orochimaru comes into play. You see, I sought him out right after the Nine-Tails escaped Akatsuki two years ago, taking grandfather's clothes with me. Orochimaru found a way to transplant the blood with grandfather's original genes and chakra into me without killing me, thus giving me Madara's jutsu and knowledge. That was a quite a bonus, if I might add. Unfortunately, it cost me my left eye as Orochimaru needed to do a more throughout research. And to make things worse… your little friend, Hades, picked up our trail. That's right… Hades has known about my existence for at least one year, perhaps more. And before you ask the next question: By getting grandfather's chakra, and combined with my training, I got immunity against your mind reading."

Dracula was stunned. 'Hades… you knew all along, didn't you? Nice one kid, you really played me for a fool, didn't you? And a big one to boot. I'm impressed… Hades.'

Hades had subconsciously released his pressure on Vader's throat in astonishment at what Hades had done, and that was all Vader needed to set his grandfather's jutsu into motion. In one instant he was solid, the next he wasn't. And in the next second he disappeared, like he was being sucked into the hole in his mask. When Dracula snapped out of his reverie, Vader was long gone. Dracula chuckled darkly.

"So, Hades, you played your little game in the darkness, veiling your own agenda? Sending me on a goose chase to dig up information when you already knew all of it. It seems… I will have to keep a closer eye on you from now on."

Looking out of the corridor he chuckled again.

"Poor Vader. Like any Uchiha could take out my guards like that. By kick-starting the corpses' chakra system by transferring a little of my own, I gain temporary control over them. My control lasts until all of my chakra has been transformed into the body's own chakra. But, like all things that get kick-started, it takes a constant supply of energy to keep it going. Otherwise it stops. The same goes for a body. The moment all of my chakra is transformed, the time a corpse is alive is limited. One minute, at the max."

With that he left the room in a cloud of black smoke, not even bothering with fixing the door.

00000

Night. Normally Naruto didn't mind travelling during night, but since the Leaf was attacked, Naruto felt more on edge than he normally would be. Perhaps it was because of his nightmares about the man with the eyes and bodies returning every night and getting more detailed every night. Last night he actually thought he knew the girls. That, and the girls would have liked to stay at the hot spring for the night. But Naruto knew if they should have any chance of catching Hades, or take him away from the Rock ninja, they had to move fast. So, grudgingly I might add, the girls had agreed to get going. But what really put Naruto on edge was that they were approaching the area where Hades had been spotted. Unless the Grass ninja had lied of course. However, when Hinata signalled them to stop from the front, he grew anxious.

"What is it, Hinata-chan?"

Hinata focused a little harder with a Byakugan. "A-a campsite 500 metres up ahead. It… I think it could be our target."

Naruto nodded. "I see. Alright girls, let's go. Mask your chakras and good luck."

1111

Keeping their chakras masked, the three teenagers watched the man by the fire in complete silence. The man was indeed their target. Wearing a long black cloak with an intricate green pattern weaved into it. From what the three teenagers could see, he was eating something. Sakura spoke to Naruto's left, keeping her voice below a whisper.

"Do you think he has noticed us?"

Naruto shook his head. "No, I don't think so."

"Come out, Leaf dogs. I know you're there."

Glancing at each other, they jumped out of their hiding spot and stood behind their target. Naruto was the first to speak.

"Hades, by the orders of the Sixth Hokage, we are to bring you to the Leaf Village. We will apply force if we have to. You can come quietly or we will force you."

Hades stood up and turned to face them. Taking a bite of whatever it was in his hand, he snorted.

"This is what the Leaf Village sends to get me? One jounin, a special jounin and a chuunin? Either I'm being severely underestimated or the Leaf Village is critical low on manpower."

Naruto glared. "I take it you won't come willingly then. Very well, I suppose we just have to get rough. But before we get down to business: What is it you're eating?"

Hades swallowed the lump and wiped his mouth with one hand. "This? Human heart. A young kunoichi from Rock. 17 and feisty. Thanks to her, I don't need another meal and drink for one week."

Naruto stared at Hades in horror. Uncovering his Sharingan, he growled. "You monster. I'm going to beat you to a bloody pulp! Let's do this, Hinata-chan and Sakura-chan!"

Both girls shouted in union. "Yes, captain Naruto!"

Naruto barely got to move before the girls charged. Then again, it wasn't their plan. Hades didn't move until he had to. He easily dodged every punch and kick the girls threw in his direction. Three minutes later and he was bored out of his mind. When Sakura came again, he decided to do something different. As Sakura punched with her right fist, he spun to his left as he clenched his fist and, holding back, gave her backhand to her right cheek, sending her sprawling into a tree on his right. But he didn't put enough power into the blow to kill her or knock her out cold. The night was still young and he had a lot of time to spend. A movement to his left caught his attention and he easily cut Hinata around her right wrist, before kneeing her in the gut, thus stopping her attack and make her cough up blood. But he wasn't quite done with her yet as he swiftly tossed her into another tree near Sakura. Sensing Naruto move, he spun around and caught Naruto's right fist in his hand, before kicking said shinobi into the tree between the two girls. Hades snorted.

"Was that all? I had expected more from the Leaf's Pink Angel and Yellow Fox, or Naruto of the Sharingan, the Second Copy-Ninja of the Hidden Leaf. Your reputation is, after all, known all over the world. Or at least most of it. But I guess it can't be helped. You and your teammate, Sasuke Uchiha, were trained by Kakashi Hatake and later one of the Sannin, respectively. With such legendary teachers, I guess it has some influence too."

Naruto stood up, glaring and snarling at Hades. "Don't speak of them like you know anything about them you bastard. You know nothing about them! So shut up or I will rip out your tongue!"

Hades just snorted. "Oh please. You, rip out my tongue? You couldn't even land a hit on me."

Naruto noticed how Sakura stood up to his right while Hinata did the same to his left. He growled at Hades."Don't underestimate us, Hades. We haven't even begun fighting for real. Feel free to use your strongest jutsu, we will still kick your ass!"

The girls nodded their resolve at Naruto and glowered at Hades. Hinata had already slipped into her fighting stance with Byakugan active and Sakura was cracking her knuckles. Then it happened. Hades broke into laughter. Not one of those happy laughs. His laughter held no mirth, no humour. It was one of those kinds of laughter that makes your blood run cold and shivers down your spine. One of those laughs that promised death and pain to whoever heard it. And if Naruto, Sakura and Hinata had been lesser shinobi, they would have skedaddled at a speed that would make Gai proud. That, or because they didn't knew who they were dealing with. A third option could be that they had heard this kind of laughter before from people like Orochimaru. Whatever the case, they stayed. Naruto narrowed his gaze at their laughing opponent.

"What's so funny?"

Hades laughter slowly subsided to a chuckle before ceasing completely. When he spoke, his voice was cold.

"You fool. Do you really think you are a match for me? I would maul you before you even knew what hit you without breaking a sweat. But if you insist, I will fight with my strongest power. Jigokugan!"

The shockwave that rose from the released energy splintered several trees. Hades spoke in a low, menacing voice."Now… let's see what you can do against my Jigokugan, shall we?"

The teenagers slipped into their stances, preparing themselves for the fight.

End chapter 15


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Terrible Eyes

Naruto frowned. 'This guy's eyes… why are they so familiar?'

He knew he had seen the mix of colours before: green, red, blue and white. So why couldn't he remember it? After 30 seconds of thinking, his eyes went wide.

'No! It can't be! Those eyes… they are the one from the my nightmares! But if that is true… then… No! Sakura-chan and Hinata-chan!'

However, before he could shout his warning, the girls charged. Hades simply blocked Sakura's first punch, jumped over the sweep of her leg before giving her a light elbow in the face. But the moment she hit the ground, Hinata was ready to take over.

"Gentle Fist: 8 Trigrams, 64 Palms!"

Hades almost smiled beneath his hood and both Naruto and Hinata eyes widened as Hades simply parried each of the girl's blows with one hand. His voice grew colder when he spoke again.

"Is that all?"

With that he released a wave of killing intent, and since Hinata was within three feet, she got the full blast of it. And it was so intense she flew through the air before hitting a tree. Sakura was by her side immediately.

"Hinata? Are you alright?"

Hinata nodded, but her trembling kinda contradicted her statement. "I'm fine… Sakura. Just a bit… shaken."

Hades snorted. "This is disappointing. I would have expected more from a member of the Hyuuga clan. Killing intent alone was enough to send that girl away? What a disgrace and failure."

Hinata and Naruto both felt like they had been slapped across the face. That word still haunted their dreams from time to time, considering it was what a lot of people had called them in the past. Hinata lowered her gaze while Naruto glowered at Hades.

"Take it back you bastard!"

Hades simply turned his attention to Naruto. "And if I don't?"

Naruto felt his blood beginning to boil with anger. "If you don't, I swear to…"

Sakura cut him off. "Naruto-kun! Shut up and focus on your part of the plan!"

Naruto bit back his fury and began gathering natural energy again. Sakura returned her gaze to Hinata, trying to get through to the trembling girl.

"Hinata, snap out of it! We need to keep this guy busy till Naruto is ready to fight! And I can't do it alone!"

Her gaze and voice softened when she locked eyes with the young Hyuuga. "Hinata… If we don't work together now… we are going to die. You, me and… Naruto-kun."

That seemed to snap Hinata out of it. Resolve returned to her eyes and her trembling stopped. When she got to her feet, she glared daggers at Hades.

"You're right Sakura. We need to work together against this guy."

Both girls glanced at each other before looking at Naruto as he gathered natural energy. Or well, the shadow clone pretended it collected the energy, while the real one was hiding and gathering it for real. Their plan had been simple: The girls should distract the target until Naruto was ready to take him out. Of course Naruto had pointed out that since his training wasn't quite complete, so he had his doubts about how fast he could gather natural energy. But as the girls pointed out, it was worth a shot. Now all they could do was wait and hope Hades didn't saw through their plan. With that firmly in mind, the girls attacked with new energy, both forming seals as they went. Hinata finished first.

"Water Element: Water Dragon jutsu!"

"Earth Element: Stone Prison!"

A square of stone and mud rose around Hades while a dragon made of water rose from a nearby stream, aiming for the opening on top, nine feet above the ground. But just as the dragon's head was about to dive into the prison and smash Hades, fire erupted from the opening. The girls watched in fascination and horror how the flames shifted from yellow and red to pure white. After 20 seconds, the water dragon Hinata had conjured evaporated completely before the fire came to an abrupt stop. Seconds later, and the side of the prison facing them was blown to bits, revealing Hades with his arm outstretched, palm open. He chuckled dryly.

"Anything else? Or do you think your friend is done preparing soon? Because if he isn't… you're going to die sooner than you would like."

Sakura growled menacingly while Hinata focused a bit chakra into her Byakugan. What she saw made her gasp.'It… it can't be. These levels of chakra… no way.'

However, before the girls or Hades could make a move, a voice called out from behind Hades.

"I would rather fail the mission by killing you than let you kill my friends! Wind Element: Rasen-Shuriken!"

Spinning on his heel, Hades saw the incoming Rasen-Shuriken. He narrowed his eyes at it as it approached him with a rapid speed. Just as he came within the blast range, it suddenly soared into the sky before exploding and illuminating the sky. Hades smiled underneath his hood.

"Done now?"

Naruto smirked. "Not even close. Look behind you."

Hades glanced over his shoulders before widening his eyes. "Oh shit…"

The next Rasen-Shuriken came at him and this time he wouldn't be able to pull the same stunt. But just before the deadly S-Rank jutsu made contact, green flames roared to life around Hades, instantly shielding him from harm as they destroyed Naruto's Rasen-Shuriken. The flames reached high into the air and the diametre of the are it covered was almost 30 metres.

"… just kidding. Got anything else?"

Naruto growled as he ran on top of the water, rapidly forming seals as he went. Hades narrowed his gaze at Naruto and began forming seals of his own. Naruto's eyes went wide when he saw the chain of seals his opponent was forming with speed that matched Kakashi's during his second bell test.

'Impossible! That sequence…!'

"Water Element: Water Dragon jutsu!"

Naruto jumped into the air and barely avoided being bit hit as the water dragon closed its mouth, clearly intending to squash between its teeth. Naruto glared at Hades as he formed the last seal, the seal of the bird.

"Water Element: Water Dragon jutsu!"

Naruto's water dragon rose from the stream and after some struggle, overpowered Hades' before going for the latter. Hades narrowed his eyes dangerously and took a deep breath. When the dragon was within 20 feet from him, he exhaled, creating a violent gust of wind. The water dragon slowed down until it came to a complete stop. The girls' eyes went wide. Hades' breath had turned it to ice! But before any of them could utter a word, the dragon splintered as Naruto hit its head with a Rasengan, aiming to take Hades by surprise. Hades let out something close to a snort as he fell backwards, arms crossed at Naruto's wrist to stop the young man's attack, before planting his foot in Naruto's stomach, and hurling him away.

Naruto, however, wasn't that easy to take down. Cancelling his jutsu, he landed on his hands, and used the momentum to turn around so that when his feet hit the ground, he rocketed forward, aiming for Hades.

"I'm not done yet, you bastard!"

Hades growled something intellible as he watched the young man coming for him with great speed. In less than a second, Naruto had crossed the distance between tme, about 30 feet, before aiming a kick at his opponent's head. Hades blocked it with his arm before aiming a kick for Naruto side. Naruto ducked low, and tried sweeping Hades off his feet. But Hades merely jumped slightly and performed an axekick that would have broken Naruto's skull if he hadn't moved. Luckily he did, and once on his feet, he lashed at Hades. Said man blocked his punch with his right arm before elbowing Naruto hard in the face and delivering a kick to the Jinchuuriki's chest, sending him through a couple of trees before slamming into a third. Naruto slumped down the tree, groaning slightly in pain. The girls were by his side almost instantly.

"Naruto-kun!"

"Naruto, are you alright? Say something!"

Naruto coughed out a little blood before groaning again. "Owww… that kick freaking hurt. But other than that, I'm fine."

Hades chuckled darkly. "I figured that much. Your Sage Mode took the worst of it. But… it won't work twice. And I won't allow you to gather more natural energy."

It was only now that Naruto realised he was no longer in Sage Mode. 'Impossible! How could this…'

His eyes went wide. 'Unless… that kick! I can't believe it! That kick disrupted my chakra balance and thus caused my Sage Mode to dissolve.'

He frowned deeply. 'But what concerns me even more is those eyes… they aren't Sharingan, of that I'm certain. Still… he executed the same jutsu I would use.'

Getting back on his feet, Naruto glared at Hades. "Those eyes… what are they?"

Hades chuckled slightly. "So you want to know what my Jigokugan is, eh? Sure, why not? It's only fair I tell you since you're going to die anyway."

He grapped the edges of his hood, smiling slightly when he saw his opponents tense, before pushing it back slightly. Not enough to reveal his face, but enough for them to see his eyes clearly. Naruto's breath hitched in his throat.

'If I had any doubt's about it before, I don't have now. Those are the same eyes that have haunted my dreams.'

Staring at them was the most cold eyes they ever had seen. His eyes were a burning green instead of white, with seven blue cirles surrounding his pupils that were white vertical slits. The smallest ring, the one closest to the slits, had four red commas slowly whirling around the slits. Hades laughed.

"What's wrong, cat got your tongue? Before you open your stupid mouths again, let me explain some of the Jigokugan's powers. Don't worry, I will keep it short and simple so that you can understand."

He smirked slightly at the teenagers' expression of fear. "One of the abilities of these eyes is very much like the one of the Byakugan. But instead of seeing your chakra system, I see all of your blood vessels. Arteries and veins alike. Also, I'm able to see body heat. But, like the Byakugan, I have a 360 degree line of vision, but I don't have its range.

The second is that I'm immune to genjutsu as these eyes dispel them immediately. Thirdly, I can take control over any elemental jutsu thrown my way. Just like I did with the first Rasen-Shuriken. I can even change the elemental composition and turn it against my opponent if I like. You see the rings in my eyes, yes? One ring for each element, or should I say chakra nature manipulation. In other words, I have all seven basic elements under my command."

The three teenagers frowned. Naruto, having undergone nature manipulation before, knew something wasn't right. Then it hit him.

"You're lying. There are only six chakra natures. Fire, wind, ligthning, earth, water and light/darkness manipulation."

At this Hades laughed. "Not exactly true kid. There is one more, but no living person is capable of manipulating it. The seventh is also the most powerful and above the six you just mentioned. The seventh is Time itself."

He laughed at their gaping faces, but it soon died down till he spoke with a cold voice, his killing intent building up.

"That's right kids. Time itself is under my command. With these eyes active during a fight, I'm able to see the past, present and future as one. In other words, I can see where you have been and been doing, where you are and are doing, and where you will be and do before you actually get there. Unfortunately, I can't turn it off for one week when I activates it and I'm only able to see five seconds into the future, because much can change in that time. And unfortunately, I can't use Time to kill you."

He sighed and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, all three teenagers felt shivers run down their spines as they locked eyes with him.

"And do you know what I see? I see your death."

Naruto felt like he was drowning. He could almost smell his own fear. 'Time… he commands Time? That explains why he he could execute the same jutsu I was planning to use before I even finished. He saw every seal I made and would make. We… we can't win against someone like that! We must retreat and get backup!'

"Hinata, Sakura! We can't defeat this guy! Retreat!"

The girls obeyed immdiately and all three of them took off into the trees. Hades growled at that. "I don't think so."

With that he disappeared from the clearing, just to reappear in front of the trio. They all gasped before descending to ground level. But before the managed more than 5 metres, Naruto flew through the air, kicked in the head by Hades. And when he got back on his feet, he felt all colour drain from his face and felt like his entire lifeforce leave his body. Hades was standing 20 feet from him, his hands holding the girls above the ground by their throats, slowly choking them. Hinata was being hold by his left while Sakura was being hold by his right, both struggling to breath and to pry themselves out of his iron grip. But Naruto could see it was futile. Hades' voice didn't make things any better as Naruto could feel the murderous intent in every syllalble Hades uttered.

"Now… if I remember correctly, those two reffered to you as captain, meaning you would be the squad leader, correct? Now… I ask you as their squad leader, friend and potential lover: Who of those two lovely ladies shall live, and whom shall die?"

Naruto couldn't breath. He frantically glanced from one girl to the other. Memories of both girls flooded his mind. Hinata vs. Neji, all the good and bad times he shared with Sakura, Hinata confessing her love after her revival, Sakura's confession when they faced Zetsu, the numerous fights between the two girls, and he came to the obvious conclusion: He loved them both equally and he couldn't bear losing any of them.

One minute later a plan formed. It was feeble at best, but in his mind, it was worth a shot. Steeling himself and trying his best to ignore the pleading eyes the girls looked at him with, he spoke, his voice as calm as he could muster.

"Fine Hades. I choose…"

"Too late for that."

With that, green flames flared to life in Hades' hands, and soon both girls were engulfed in the green flames, being burned to death. For Naruto, the girls screams of agony seemed to last an eternity, but in reality they lasted less than two seconds. Then flames disappeared just as quickly they came to life and two piles of black bones fell to the ground. That was all that was left of Hinata Hyuuga and Sakura Haruno: Their blackened skeletons.

Hades' murderous and merciless laughter soon drew Naruto's attention, as he slowly lifted his eyes to meet Hades' gaze, his eyes glazed over with disbelief and sorrow. He couldn't believe it. But Hades' next words caught through the fog clouding his mind as a hot knife cuts through butter.

"Two down, one to go. And now… it's your turn."

End chapter 16


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Tension and Bloodshed

Naruto stared in horror at the remains of the girls. The next thing he knew was that he was on all fours, his stomach being emptied at a rapid rate. Then some sounds caught his attention and he almost fell down into his own vomit. Both girls were on their knees and hands and were puking too. Too say Naruto was confused would be the understatement of the year. Wiping away the cold sweat covering his brow and his mouth, he tried getting his thoughts in order.

'I… I don't understand. They both died, he killed them; I saw it! Unless it was genjutsu… no, not genjutsu. My Sharingan would have seen through that. So what the hell…'

"I know what the three of you are thinking. And no, it wasn't genjutsu. It was a glimpse of what will happen if you continue this fight."

Chuckling at their horrified expressions, Hades continued, Jigokugan blazing.

"I wasn't telling the complete true. I can only see five or six seconds into the future when my opponent is moving. But when standing still, I can see so much more; about one minute, if I really concentrate. And by locking eyes with my enemy… I can share the images I see, the sounds I hear, the scents I smell. To see that you only puke and sweat so profusely is rather impressive. Many who got the same treatment lost their sanity and drew a kunai into their hearts. Oh well. You will be dead soon enough."

Giving the girls worried glances, Naruto got on his feet, with some effort. Trying to regain his breath, his face became grim with resolve. He knew what he had to do.

"Hinata-chan, Sakura-chan: It's been a pleasure knowing you. But I'm afraid we will have to say goodbye now. You run, I will hold him off as long as I can. Don't look back."

The girls looked gobsmacked. Then Hinata shook her head as she slowly got on her feet too. "No Naruto-kun, I'm not going anywhere. You will not fight this guy alone. If we die now… we die together."

Sakura nodded as she stood up too. "For once I agree with Hinata. We fight this monster together, even if it will be the end of us."

Naruto was about to voice his frustration and the despair at the girls' stubbornness. And apparently, he wasn't the only one who was getting frustrated, if Hades' snarl was anything to go by.

"Why is that you two girls just refuse to listen to reason? That, or just stay down? The only one who could interest me slightly is the boy, but you two just keep getting in the way. But if you intend to die for him, then fine by me."

The Leaf ninjas tensed slightly, and the sight of a single-edged sword that seemed to glide out of his right sleeve didn't ease their tension. And the red colour with the black tip only made things worse.

Sakura narrowed her gaze."What is up with that sword? Why is it so strangely coloured?"

Hades just chuckled. "My sword, Bloodshed. Forged by the blood of myself and the enemies I have slain and hardened with my chakra. Of course I only took the blood from worthy opponents. What do you think? Are you worthy of becoming part of my sword?"

He suddenly felt something was wrong. And when space around him started collapsing, his gaze shifted to Naruto, who had his Mangekyou Sharingan active, trying to rip him apart by sending parts of him to another place.

00000

Mei Terumi, the Fifth and current Mizukage, sighed as she looked down on the streets of the Hidden Mist Village from her office. News had just gotten in: Cloud and Rock had initiated their war against Leaf. Not only that, but Cloud had been provocative close to Mist waters. Or rather: Cloud had been spotted in Mist waters, if only shortly. She had to act upon such a provocation, even if would mean war. Otherwise the opposing party would question her leadership, and in the worst case scenario, another civil war would start. She couldn't risk that: They were still very unstable after the last one, still recovering even if it was more than a decade ago. But were they ready for another all out war? Sighing, she came to a decision.

"Ao."

The jounin and former ANBU with the Byakugan appeared at once in her office. "Yes, Mizukage-sama?"

Resolve firmly set, she turned around to face the kneeling sninobi. "Prepare the Pearl, Interceptor, Gem and Princess for battle so they can set out by noon tomorrow."

Upon his questioning look, she continued. "The presence of Cloud vessels in Mist waters cannot be accepted, nor will it be tolerated. Under your command, you're to keep an eye on them. If they are present in our territory, and they refuse to turn around after two warnings, you have permission to open fire and sink them. Dismissed."

"Understood, Mizukage-sama!"

With that Ao left, knowing his leader must feel very pressed if she was sending four of the Mist's five pride battleships out.

00000

Gaara sat back in his chair in the Kazekage office, arms crossed and eyes slightly narrowed as he allowed the scout to speak out. The news of the Rock and Cloud crossing Fire's borders were expected. But the news of how and with what they did it was not welcomed well. The Rock had crossed the borders with several armoured things called tanks, and although they were slow moving, they were rather sturdy and hard to destroy. And they seemed to have incredible destructive power. Cloud, on the other hand, had chosen to invade from the air with something called airplanes. Not the fastest moving things, but pretty hard to hit nonetheless since they often were out of reach. And they too had devastating weapons; some were small metal bullets while others were lots of explosive tags put into cylindrically iron container. Those containers would be dropped from great height and when they hit the ground, they would explode, destroying everything within a range that yet had to be determined. Holding back his growing anger of the ways the Tsuchikage and Raikage were going, he contemplated what to do.

Well, he knew that in war and love, no tricks were too dirty. He learned a long time ago that even if you play by the rules, you shouldn't expect your opponent to repay the favour. He nodded when the jounin scout asked if he should continue with his report.

"Kazekage-sama, during the Cloud's last attack, the Hidden Leaf's hospital and power plant were hit. We don't know how many lost their lives."

Gaara frowned slightly. "I understand. Any signs of Naruto, Akatsuki or this Hades character?"

The jounin shook his head. "No Kazekage-sama. According to our latest intelligence, Naruto Uzumaki was sent on mission with Hinata Hyuuga and Sakura Haruno. And although it hasn't been confirmed, their mission is to apprehend this Hades."

Upon seeing his leader frown deepen, he couldn't help but ask. "Kazekage-sama, if I may? Why haven't you sent out your ANBU to bring in this Hades?"

Gaara sighed. He had been wondering that himself since the disaster of the Kage Summit. And his answer was the conclusion he had come to.

"The way the ninja of legend, Dracula-sama, told us about Hades sets me off. I think he is hiding something. I think he wants us to send out our troops to fight this Hades. I will not send out brave soldiers to be slaughtered like hogs on a bacon factory based on one statement. And a vague one at that. If anybody is going to fight Hades, it will be me. How valid is your source of information? It is highly classified information I suppose?"

The scout seemed to be contemplating his answer. "The information came from Itachi Uchiha and was later verified by the Fifth Hokage's assistant, Shizune-san, and by the jounin commander Shikaku Nara."

The scout hesitated a little before continuing."Nara also told us that Danzou have been cutting down on civilian resources to strengthen their military economy."

Gaara felt his anger boil, and he was pretty sure he had looked like his old self when he was excited about killing someone. Dismissing the scout, who seemed rather glad for that, Gaara rested his elbows on his desk and rubbed his temples, feeling a massive headache building. From what Gaara could understand, there were people inside Leaf's walls that opposed Danzou or least wanted to be rid off him. For what reasons was something Gaara could only guess about. But what really gave him a headache was what to do about the war business.

He had said that Sand would join the Leaf against Rock and Cloud if civilian suffered and the same for ninjas who didn't know about Danzou's little scheme.

Gaara felt like banging his head against the table and would most likely have done that if he had been alone in the office.

'Great. Just great. Civilians suffer, but not from the enemy forces. But I can't declare war against an ally. And without solid proof that Rock or Cloud committed something unacceptable, entering the war to protect innocent people is so much harder. Then again, I can't allow Danzou to do what he does. And if we are to get him judged by a war court, or just a court, we need as many witnesses as we can get. And since there seems to be people within the Leaf who oppose Danzou, the better a chance we stand for getting him passed sentence on for his transgressions. But if they die in the war, it won't do us any good.'

Mentally groaning, Gaara continued contemplating his move.

'And to make things worse, I haven't had a moment of peace from the council since the summit. Some of them says we should join Cloud and Rock, other that we should help Leaf while others say we should stay out of it completely. Whatever I do, the ones who opposed me as Kazekage will get something for their slandering and rise questions against my leadership. Add to that, but Temari and Kankurou have bugged me as much as the council about the same matters. To quote my brother-in-law: Troublesome.'

Pride be damned, and ignoring the startled sounds the other occupants in the room made, Gaara banged his head against the table, and it stayed there for almost one minute, before he came to a conclusion: He would enter the war to, hopefully, save the lives of the ones opposing Danzou. He would deal with the council later.

"Baki: Prepare the cavalry. I want five heavy scorpion platoons ready to move out within the hour. If you encounter enemies, engage them in combat but avoid killing as much as possible. Temari: I need you to travel to Mist and tell the Mizukage that there seems to be people inside the Leaf who is opposing Danzou. Kankurou: Take four light scorpion squads to our borders. I have a feeling that Rock might try to trespass. And someone: Get me the hardest working donkeys to my office this instant."

Temari and Baki exchanged confused glances before Temari spoke up. "Eh, Gaara? Why do you want donkeys in your office?"

Gaara sighed. "Because their braying is about as pleasant and useful as the words I'm going to hear from the council. So I want to promote the donkeys and replace the council members with them. Dismissed."

His siblings laughed as they left the office to execute his orders while Baki didn't know what to think, although he had had similar ideas when Gaara was abducted two years ago.

00000

Hades growled at Naruto's trick. He should have foreseen something like that. That or he shouldn't have shifted his gaze from Naruto. Gathering his chakra to where his arm met the rest of his body, he, much to the Leaf ninjas' surprise, cancelled out Naruto's jutsu.

"Nice trick Naruto-san, but you will have to do better than that. Time to finish this farce."

The words had barely left his mouth before his opponent jumped into action. Naruto hurled a smaller barrage of kunai laced with wind-based chakra while the girls launched shurikens. Hades didn't feel like moving, so he just twirled Bloodshed in front of him, the red sword blocking any incoming objects. When Hades noticed they were trying to make another run for it, Hades moved.

The young ninjas had barely managed five steps in the opposite direction before Hades was in front of them. Hinata barely managed to utter a word or raise her hands before Hades thrust his sword through her, right below her ribcage. Her mouth formed an 'o' in a silent scream from pain and shock. The last thing she saw before darkness claimed her was Hades pulling out Bloodshed before piercing Sakura through the back.

Hades snarled as Sakura went limp and fell to the grass flour, never making a sound. "Now… time to finish this parody of a fight."

Naruto just stared at the girls prone forms, and this time he knew it wasn't one of Hades' tricks. Rage and grief filled him as he made the familiar hand seal.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

24 clones burst in existence, four of them slowly moving the girls out of harms zone the moment they appeared. Gritting his teeth as the clones circled Hades, one thought went through his mind as he and his clones gathered chakra.

'This better work. It's the only jutsu I have from that element. God, if you're merciful, then please let this work.'

Hades seemed unfazed by the number of clones and what they were doing. He just levelled his sword to his eyes. Chirping of birds and the sound of some machine filled the clearing. The Narutos were ready and they charged immediately with battle cries.

Eleven of them shouted "Rasengan!" while ten shouted "Chidori!"

It was brief, but Naruto was certain he saw something resembling surprise in Hades' eyes, before only fury was seen.

Hades almost looked he was dancing as he spun, jumped and ducked the assaults, dispatching the clones with his sword as he went. Soon the real Naruto, Chidori blazing, came face to face with Hades. But before Naruto could plunge it into Hades, Hades delivered a devastating kick to Naruto's abdomen, sending him into a nearby tree. Naruto groaned in pain and moved slightly away from the tree before rising to his knees. But before he could on his feet, he felt cold steel press against his throat. Glancing up, he met the gold gaze's of Hades' Jigokugan.

Naruto managed a snarl. "Why don't you just kill me? It's what you want, isn't it? To kill me after you murdered Sakura-chan and Hinata-chan. Wasn't that what you told us? That we would be dead soon enough? So kill me and be done with it!"

Hades chuckled. "Oh, I plan on killing you Naruto-san. I truly do. But before I do, I must complement you. You are truly the Number One Unpredictable ninja. To think that you mastered the Chidori. Especially considering I only remember teaching it to Sasuke Uchiha."

Naruto's eyes widened in shock at this. He felt like he Sakura and Tsunade had punched him on the same time while someone dropped a ton of bricks on him from the Hokage Tower.

'Taught Chidori to Sasuke? But that means… Hades is… Hades is… Kakashi-sensei!'

Naruto instantly began rambling. "Kakashi-sensei… the village… Danzou… Hokage… war… Hatake clan… temple…"

But his rambles were cut short when his opponent raised his sword and brought it down with the words. "Goodbye, Naruto-san."

Naruto didn't feel any pain, but he felt something sticky, and he quickly identified it as blood, hit his face.

End chapter 17


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Plans, Past and More Plans.

Dracula let out a long string of colourful curses that would have put Hidan to shame, as he struggled to keep Hades' blade from doing more damage than it already had. The long bleeding gash on his left arm, where Bloodshed had hit him because he hadn't been able to block it with his sword, was apparently the latest addition of the blood it had drawn this night. So there he stood, his blue blade against Hades' red one, protecting the blond ninja behind him. Gathering his strength, Dracula pushed Hades backwards. Hades, however, soon regained his footing and took a stance, sword levelled with Dracula's heart.

"Hello Dracula-sensei. Mind explaining what you're doing here?"

1111

Naruto frowned in confusion. 'Dracula-sensei? What the hell is…?'

His chains of thoughts were broken and he gasped when an excruciating pain threatened to split his skull. Then, memories from two years started emerging. And suddenly, Naruto remembered meeting Dracula. Well, he remembered Dracula holding him, and glimpses from what Naruto called his private sewer. Or better known as the place where he talked with the beast sealed inside of him. Looking wildly from Hades, meaning looking around Dracula's form, and to Dracula, he decided to be silent for now..

1111

Dracula was about to answer Hades, when a gasp behind him drew his attention. Venturing one quick glance at Naruto, he just caught sight of what only could be described as hate in the young man's eyes. Reading Naruto's mind in less than a fraction of a second, Dracula more or less mentally groaned.

'Just great. Now I have to deal with Hades and a kid who hosts the Kyuubi. I guess I can't blame Kyuubi for breaking the seal though. Knowing him right, he hoped to use his host's emotional turmoil to get loose. Sorry Kyuubi, but the memory seal also worked as an extra safety measure to keep you sealed. Now, you just have to break Minato-kun's seal. But back to more serious matters.'

Frowning at Hades, Dracula spoke. "Hades: I could ask you the same thing."

Dracula tensed slightly as Hades twirled Bloodshed a little. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm finishing off one who challenged me to a fight. He even said I should be welcome to use my Jigokugan when he said I should feel free to use my strongest jutsu. I took him on his offer. Now, back off… Dracula-sensei."

Dracula couldn't believe his ears. Someone had asked Hades to use his strongest jutsu? You had to be incredible powerful to say such a thing. That, or plain out insane or stupid. Especially if you didn't know about it before you engaged Hades in battle. Then again, he had heard the rumours of Naruto being a knucklehead, and it had also been his first impression of the boy when he met him two years ago. Now he found he had to revaluate that.

'Not a knucklehead. Complete and utter idiot with a death wish more like it.'

Dracula sighed. "Hades: You can't kill this boy. He still has a role to play, and an important one at that. It would ruin our plans if he was to face an early demise. Speaking of plans…"

Dracula narrowed his eyes dangerously. "When were you planning to tell me you already knew about Vader? Or his little connection to Orochimaru?"

Hades chuckled, ignoring Naruto who had gasped in shock. "So you had a little chat with him then? Good. I was wondering when you would catch on. As for when I would tell you: When I wanted. Not much point in doing so now, is there? Now, if you will excuse me, I have training and business to attend to."

Before Dracula or Naruto could utter one word of protest, Hades vanished in a burst of green flames. Cursing in his own, and very old tongue, Dracula made his sword disappear.

"Boy: I don't know what kind of gods you pissed on to be endowed with that brains of yours, but some one must really like you, considering how lucky you are. Not many have lived to tell the tale after pissing off Hades."

Naruto, understanding the barely veiled insult but ignoring it, stared at Dracula's back. He felt trembles of fear run through his body from the massive amount of power and cruelty he sensed within Dracula. Finally, he found his tongue as his anger and disbelief vanquished his fear.

"Lucky? Lucky? You call this lucky? He crushed us like bugs! He almost killed…"

Dracula cut him off. "Exactly my point, boy! The three of you are still alive, are you not?"

He sighed when he saw Naruto's gobsmacked expression, reigning in his growing anger and blood thirst.

"Naruto-kun: Do you really believe that the three of you would be alive if Hades wanted you dead? Hades missed the girls' vital parts on purpose. Although I'm not sure of his reason, I can always guess: He only wanted to show his face to you. And the girls were in the way. They aren't dead, just unconscious. In other words: They haven't heard a word of what was said or done right after Hades took them out."

Naruto stared at Dracula, completely flabbergasted. He spoke, just as Dracula turned to face him.

"In that case, I will just have to train to become stronger so that I can bring Kakashi-sensei home so that he can explain why he kicked our asses. And he better have a damn good one for doing what he did."

Dracula stared at the boy, kneeling before him. The only reasons Dracula didn't outright kill Naruto on the spot was because he needed him for his plan and he had to make Naruto understand not going after Hades again; even if it meant beating him to the brink of death. He growled, hoping to get through that thick skull of Naruto's.

"I know what you're thinking boy. And I say: Give it up. Hades might have been lenient this time around, don't count on him being so again. Nor will I come to your aid. Also: You won't surpass Hades. He is genius you see once in a millennium."

Naruto glared as he gritted his teeth, slowly regaining his composure. "Yeah, I know Kakashi-sensei is a genius and I'm a dropout. I'm sick and tired of people thinking some are better than others because they are geniuses! With hard work, a dropout will surpass a genius!"

Dracula stared at Naruto. 'This boy: He is determined, I will give him that. That, or too thick-headed for his own good.'

"With hard work, a dropout might surpass a genius. But hard work won't be enough to surpass, let alone defeat, a god. And that is what Hades is. Or at least what he will become after he and I fight for the last time. He is a direct descendant of my nephew, Lycan Vampire. One, who was feared on the same level as me during his short life. Hades is the last link in the Vampire clan who have been able to unlock his dormant Death powers. And ever will be, since the Vampire clan's kekkei genkai, or in your tongue, Bloodline Limit, has thinned dramatically since Lycan's time.

He paused when he saw Naruto looking at him with a baffled facial expression. Dracula mentally groaned as he lowered his voice.

"You just need to understand this: Kakashi Hatake is dead, and he isn't coming back. Nor will Kakashi's heirs inherit the Vampire clan's powers."

Still baffled, Naruto spoke up. "Dormant Death powers? What the hell are you talking about?"

"Kakashi Hatake became Hades Vampire when I unlocked his dormant powers. When I did, I was in for a big surprise. He had recently tapped a little into those latent powers, using them to bring himself back to life in his human form and later to enhance some of his jutsu's destructive and protective power. The quality of his Death chakra was unlike anything I had ever felt before. It was so high it made my entire fortress tremble."

Dracula sighed.

"If I had know from the beginning what I was dealing with, I would have thought it over more than once. But when I found him, lying there on the shore in front of my gates, I couldn't believe my luck. I had been hunting him for a while to punish him for a crime he had committed years ago, and there he was, lying right on my doorstep. When I found him, it took some time to realize it was true. But as I felt his latent powers, it all made sense. I realized I had felt his powers when I had been looking for him while I had a young girl as my ward. And I finally understood while my curse hadn't been able to take him out and why he could hide from me for so long. One with the Vampire clan's powers wouldn't be affected by my curse. So I took him into the deepest chambers of my castle and unlocked those dormant powers of his. Goodbye."

Naruto, not really caring about what Dracula had just told, managed to call out before Dracula teleported away.

"Wait! What do you mean I still have an important role to play and it would ruin your plans if I died?"

Dracula turned around, the hint of a smirk gracing his features. "Well, about that…"

But he was cut off rather abruptly by a sound. A sound he had heard many times before, mostly on the battlefield. His gaze shifted upwards and he burned an arrow to ashes by merely looking at it. Naruto watched in fascination, and slight, horror as a creature tall as man jumped out from one of the trees, aiming at Dracula with a longbow, arrow ready to be fired. It was only thanks to his Sharingan Naruto saw two red knives appear from Dracula's sleeves, one in each hand, before he had thrown them at the charging monster. Naruto successfully bit back a shout of astonishment when he saw one of the knives was in line with the arrow before imbedding itself in the creature's yellow right eye. But he couldn't hold back a gasp of surprise when the second knife hit another attacker in the throat. Especially considering the second one had been in their blind spot behind the first one. They hit the ground as Dracula drew another knife from his right sleeve, moved his hand over his head and threw, just as another attacked with an iron helmet, shield and sword stormed out of the trees.

Naruto eyes widened when the Sharingan saw the knife spin around its own axis before hitting the armoured creature right between the eyes, piercing the iron like nothing. The attacker's head snapped backwards from the sheer force, causing him, or rather that, to fall on its back. Naruto stared at the three dead opponents to Dracula with awe. The two first ones should have been impossible kill like that since they both were moving and one was in their blind spot.

He looked back at the three creatures and spoke, disgust in his voice. "What the hell are those?"

Glancing through the trees and sensing more enemies approaching, Dracula answered, his blue sword, about same attributes and length as Hades'.

"They are Uruk-hai, creations of the Necromancer Mordred. I will tell you this: If you ever encounter a Necromancer, run. Your Sage jutsu won't help you against them."

Again, Naruto was completely lost, eyes shifting from their surroundings to Dracula's lethal looking sword to Dracula.

"And what the heck is a Necromancer?"

Growling, Dracula blocked several arrows. "A long time ago, the Necromancers were my elite forces. A lot like the Hidden Villages ANBU. To make a long and boring history short, they betrayed me and became a brotherhood that was researching the secrets of my clan and other forbidden jutsu. They were believed to be destroyed almost four centuries ago but I know for certain two are still roaming the lands and have joined Akatsuki. Naruto-kun: Return to the village with the girls. I will take care of things here. Go!"

To emphasize the urgency that Naruto needed to get out of there, he created two Shadow Clones that each hurried to the girls sides, quickly mending a little of the damage Hades had done, before scooping them up in their arms and taking off in the direction of the Hidden Leaf.

Naruto looked at Dracula, before giving a curt nod and took off too. He glanced over his shoulder, just in time to see Dracula beheading three Uruks. Looking forward, his face contorted with determination.

'Kakashi-sensei: I will become strong enough and drag you home, if it's the last thing I do. Believe it!'

Dracula chuckled as more Uruk-hai came. "Well Ghostwind: Seems you will have cutting to do."

00000

Shizune watched in growing despair at Tsunade, just lying on the sofa in the Hatake Mansion's living room. The other inhabitant and gone to bed long ago. Not so strange, considering it was 3 in the morning. She sighed.

"Tsunade-sama, I know you probably can't hear me, but if you can, I'm going to bed now. Goodnight."

With that she walked up to the room she had been sleeping in for the past weeks. When he was sure she and all of the others were out of the way and sound asleep, he stepped out of the shadows and walked soundlessly to Tsunade's side. He chuckled.

"I'm gone for some time and immediately the village go to the dogs. This isn't the time to be sleeping, Old Lady Tsunade. Time to wake up."

With that, Hades placed two fingertips on Tsunade's forehead, before gently transferring a small amount of his chakra into her. He couldn't risk giving her a too great dose as it probably would kill her. When he saw her wrinkles starting to disappear, he vanished without a sound in green flames. The sudden and sharp light caused Tsunade to stir before slowly opening her eyes.

00000

Danzou was sitting in the Hokage office, back to the window reading some reports, and he was in a good mood. His troops had managed to sneak into the Hatake Shrine's two first rooms before the wolves had stopped them. Although the mission wasn't completely successful, it wasn't an utter failure either. Also, he had finally managed to find get rid off Tsunade and the Uchihas in one go. He smiled in spite of himself. Soon he would have the Sharingans of Itachi, Sasuke and Obito. Simply put: He would frame the Uchihas for murder. Victim: Tsunade. Of course he would have to use the Sharingan in his right eye, but it was his impression that Sasuke was easily manipulated. Reaching for a glass of red wine. However, just as his left hand reached it, he felt cold steel against his throat. The metal against his throat was followed by low, menacing whisper.

"Don't move… Hokage."

End chapter 18


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Visit from the Past. 

Even though the voice whispered, Danzou had no problems recognizing it. Without moving, considering he had a blade pressed against his throat, he spoke. "Why is that you Hatake's just never seem to die and stay dead?"

He was answered by the blade being pressed a bit more into his throat, and he felt blood trickle down his throat as his assailant growled.

"Don't push it… Danzou. Otherwise you will find your next shaving a bit closer than you will like… if you get my meaning."

Danzou bit back his frustration before carefully moving his arm away from his glass. "Threatening a Hokage now, eh Kakashi? It appears that my predecessors had too high expectations for, at that time, the last of the Hatake clan. Then again: With a disgrace of a father, I can't say I'm surprised. But now, with your offspring, I have a chance for correcting that mistake."

Hades growled as he stepped forth so that Danzou could see him on his left. His rising anger was barely concealed in his snarl and hiss.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, Danzou, but I believe my human father, Sakumo Hatake, said something along these lines: _You will have hell to pay if you ever touch or threaten my family._ I believe he said that when you wanted me to be enrolled into Root right after I graduated the Academy. And I believe I told you the exact same thing, the day before my father died. I believe I told you to stay away from me and my family and that I would kill you if you didn't. And a little bird told me…"

His voice lowered and his eyes narrowed dangerously. "… that you have tried getting into the Hatake Shrine and the mansion to learn the secrets of the Hatake clan. Explain yourself, Danzou!"

Danzou just smirked. "I don't need to explain it, but I will do it nonetheless. I will do whatever it takes to keep the village safe. You might not like my methods, but then again: You have never been one to refrain from playing dirty, isn't that right?"

At this Hades gave a smirk of his own. "You could say that. Especially after I helped Itachi finish off the Uchiha. Perhaps you don't remember this, but I was present during Itachi's briefings and the meetings when you decided to eliminate them. You see, I recorded all of the meetings on tape. Just like I recorded the Elders and you giving Itachi the order to kill them before the Third gave clearance for such a mission. So if I was you, I would behave nicely."

Danzou just stared into the Jigokugan, and he knew for a moment an expression of surprise and shock had crossed his scarred features. But then he smiled.

"Well, what interesting news. Kakashi, you do realize you have just provided the means to get the Hatake Mansion under the Hokage's control right? And you have just threatened your Kage on life, implied blackmailing said Kage, admitted being accessory in the murder of the Uchiha clan and broken your pledge of secrecy. That alone is enough to get you declared traitor and missing-nin. The penalty for that is death and confiscation of all lands and heirlooms."

At this Hades just laughed and lowered his hood completely, giving Danzou a full look of his face. Only three things had changed since Danzou last sat his eyes on the jounin that, more than once, had given him one heck of an eyesore.

The first was the blazing eyes. The second was that his skin now had the same colour as a corpse. And finally was that he wasn't wearing a mask, revealing a face that looked so much like his father's. Hades' laughter soon stopped, but his voice held an edge of amusement.

"Aren't you forgetting something, Danzou? Kakashi Hatake died two years ago; around fifteen witnesses will confirm that. And considering you're at war at the moment, I doubt the village have the resources to have a trial against a dead man. Especially considering you have no solid proof I ever was here tonight. Big mistake not installing camcorders in your own office. And the recorder under your desk is out of order as I took away the power supply for the time being. As for your guards on the other side of the door: They can't hear a thing due to the silencing seals I put up when I entered. And the guards on the roof? Well, they saw me but a knife through their lungs and throat took care of that little problem. I have a couple of Shadow Clones posing as them. But alas, time for chitchat is now over. Although… I wonder how Tsunade is going to react to what you have done now that she's awake. Goodbye… Danzou."

Hades had barely gotten his hood back in place when the doors burst open, revealing Fuu and Torune with kunais at the ready. Hades cursed and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Danzou started forming seals. Before any of the Leaf could even blink, Hades hurled a green fireball at Danzou which made contact with his right arm. Hades laughed as Danzou screamed in pain and fury while thrashing on the floor.

"Those are the flames of the Underworld itself. Unlike the flames from the sun, or a jutsu like Amaterasu, those flames are truly unavoidable if they make contact. No matter what kind of jutsu you use, those flames will appear on you again. Why? Because you might be able to hide from the sun, but you can't hide from Death itself for all eternity. And the best part is: Nothing can heal the damage!"

With that he jumped through the window before taking off in the night, sword disappearing up his sleeve, still laughing as Fuu and Torune took up pursuit. Danzou continued screaming in pain as the flames rapidly crept up his right arm, and he quickly realized that if didn't do anything, he would die for sure. So, with great effort, he stood up and gripped the katana hidden under the desk and with even greater effort, cut off his arm halfway up the upper arm. However, to his surprise and horror, the flames continued consuming his arm.

Five seconds later, and his entire right arm had been burned off and when the fire disappeared, only a black spot where his arm used to connect with his body. The only good thing was that he hadn't lost any blood as the flames had closed the wound.

He had barely time marvelling at the fact before two dull thuds sounded in the room. Glancing around, he was in for the sight of both Torune and Fuu. Or rather: Their heads without their bodies. There was a little note in Fuu's mouth. Making sure there wasn't a trap to it, Danzou took it out and read aloud.

"This is only the beginning… Sharingan Thief."

Danzou crumpled the paper in his hand, gritting his teeth. "Damn you to hell Kakashi. Damn you and your entire clan!"

Slowly getting his fury under control, Danzou spoke to the empty room as he tossed the note over his shoulder.

"I swear that I'm going to get back on you. Even if it means killing every inhabitant inside the Hatake Mansion and burn it to the ground, I'm going to get back on you!"

"Wrong."

Danzou hadn't time to gather chakra as he spun around. He barely noticed that the note was gone before there was a glimpse of red and the malice in the Jigokugan before his head hit the ground, severed from his body. Hades chuckled darkly as Bloodshed slid up his sleeve yet again.

"I told you to stay away from my family, Danzou. And I would rather be safe than sorry. And now… time to relieve Root from their service… permanently."

He burned Danzou's body before planting Danzou's sword through the desk. And then he forced Danzou's head down on the hilt, face facing the door. Once he satisfied, he took off into the night, hellbent on hunting down every Root member.

They never knew what hit them.

00000

Naruto sat in silence as he waited for the red lamp over the double doors to go out. Although, it wasn't likely to be right away considering he had only been there for an hour. He still couldn't believe that they had crossed the distance from Earth borders to Leaf in hours. Then again, at the pace Dracula's clones had been going, it was a miracle he had been able to keep up at all. Actually, he hadn't been able to keep up due to the damages from his fight. And apparently the clones had decided he was going too slow as the one carrying Hinata had handed Hinata over to the one carrying Sakura so both girls hung over the other clone's shoulders. And although the clone didn't look like he was happy about it, because Naruto knew he wasn't, the clone had forced Naruto onto his back so that he was giving Naruto a piggyback-ride, much to Naruto's mortification. But he had to admit, even with him on one of the clones and the other being weighed down by the two girls, Dracula's clones still moved with such speed that Naruto had wondered if they had been going slow before to accommodate his own speed; and if Naruto should say it himself, his speed was pretty good, thank you very much. His surprise hadn't been smaller when they encountered several heavy looking machines with a Rock symbol engraved in them.

The clone with Naruto on his back had smashed them with one quick blow before continuing on his way. They had stopped beside the main road to the Leaf's main gate, just outside of the wall guards' line of vision. The clones had waited while Naruto had run for help. Luckily, neither the ninjas on guard duty nor the medics had asked any questions.

He had been terrified when they told him the hospital had been hit, but apparently the damages weren't as great as both girls a team of medics working on them.

Naruto let out a long sigh as he ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

'Why did things have to come to this? Why did Hinata-chan and Sakura-chan have to get hurt? As a team leader, it's my job to accomplish the mission successfully and ensure the safety of my teammates.'

He chuckled slightly as he remembered their first mission outside the Leaf as Team 7.

'Poor Kakashi-sensei. Having to deal with three brats and ensuring their safety while still keeping his sanity can't have been easy.'

He let out another sigh, this time for his inner turmoil, suffering and grief. 'Kakashi-sensei, what happened to you? You have changed even more than Sasuke did. Why?'

A sound down the hall caught his attention. Glancing in the direction warily, his heart sank again. 'Ino-chan.'

Ino came running down the hall, fear written all over her face. He barely got on his feet before Ino hugged him like there was no tomorrow.

"Naruto! You're back! What happened? I heard you had returned and Hinata and Sakura were hurried to the hospital, and that they were in a critical state!"

Calming herself down a little, Ino spoke again as she released him from her embrace. "Talk to me Naruto. What happened on the mission?"

Naruto was at a loss for words. He couldn't believe what had just transpired. He wanted to tell somebody everything that happened, but knew that he couldn't unless he wanted people to think he was completely nuts. Had he not been so much aside of himself, he would perhaps have worried about not reporting to Danzou yet. But then again: Failing the mission was bad enough, but admitting that he failed it because of his sensei that died two years ago? No, he couldn't do that.

Firstly because Danzou would be furious for failing, secondly because who would believe him? And thirdly because he didn't want to admit that Kakashi had changed.

So he settled for what he thought he could reveal, although he changed a couple of things.

"Simply put: It was a disaster. Our target… we fell into his ambush and Hinata-chan and Sakura-chan were mortally wounded. I don't know what I will have done if they died."

As on cue, the lamp turned off and seconds later a medic came through the doors. He smiled when he saw the two anxious teenagers facing him.

"Hinata-san and Sakura-san will survive. But we are going to transfer them to the ITU for the time being. They are going to need a lot of rest and we would like to be able to keep an eye on them. Goodnight, Ino-san and Naruto-san."

With that he walked away and the two teenagers let out a breath they didn't know they had been holding. When Naruto turned to look at Ino, his broad smile turned into a frown when he saw her shifting uncomfortably on her feet.

"Ino-chan, what's wrong?"

When she didn't respond, he paled, fearing the worst."Ino… Shikamaru… Chouji… they aren't dead, right?"

Ino shook her head. "No, they are fine. They are all fine. But… I don't know how to explain this…"

Now Naruto was curious and confused. "Ino, you can tell me. I won't laugh or anything."

Ino smiled in spite of herself. "Promise me you won't tell anybody this?"

Naruto nodded. "I promise I won't tell a soul about this."

Ino nodded her consent, gathering all the courage she could muster, a slight blush forming. "Naruto… last time… after the Akatsuki attack…"

Naruto swallowed, dreading what was to come. "Please continue Ino-chan. If you think it was a mistake and you regret it, I won't hold it against you. Just… please don't hate me."

Ino shook her head, her blush increasing slightly. "I don't hate you Naruto-kun. Nor do I regret what we did or see it as a mistake. I… oh bugger, why is this so hard? Alright, I guess I shall just spill the beans. Naruto-kun… that night I performed a contraceptive jutsu. But it seems I wasn't focused enough because…"

She trailed off again and looked at Naruto. Upon seeing his utterly confused expression she suppressed a sigh. Clearly he needed her to write it with neon to get through to him. Slightly dreading his reaction, she told him what needed to be told.

"Naruto-kun, I'm pregnant. And you're the father."

End chapter 19


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Dream, Nightmare or Reality?

"Naruto-kun, I'm pregnant. And you're the father."

Naruto stared at Ino, his mouth almost reaching the floor, and for once, his brain running thousands miles an hour. When he found he found his voice, he had to fight down the urge to stutter.

"You're pregnant? And… I'm the father?"

Ino nodded. "Yes Naruto-kun. You are, with 100 percent guarantee, the father."

Naruto just stared some more. Then, he more or less made a Hinata. He fainted.

00000

Kisame stirred in his sleep. For some reason, he had been dreaming about the extraction of the Eight-Tails for nights. But what slightly disturbed Kisame was flashes of the current and previous Akatsuki members. Pain, Zetsu, Konan, Hidan, Kakuzu, Itachi, himself, Blackrose, Murdgaki, Devalan, Deidara, Shaka, Leader, Sasori, Mordred and Spirit. And although he would die than admit it, but the two Necromancers made him uneasy if not directly freaked out.

Kisame woke up with a start, hints of sweat rolling down his back. He had just had the usual dream but after the flashes of the Akatsuki members, when he had found him staring into a couple of white slits surrounded by four red commas. There was no doubt in mind that they were eyes. And it didn't make it any better that a voice had sounded any in his head. Frowning as he got dressed, he spoke the words it had said.

"Thank you. You have been a very good informant."

Shrugging it off, Kisame placed Samehada on his back and walked into the conference room. Glancing at the clock, he saw it was almost time for their meeting to begin. The room was circular with a round stone table and chairs made of stone in the middle. One chair for each member. Or at least for eight of them, seeing how Zetsu usually was out gathering information and keeping watch. The wall was lit by torches and a bowl of burning oil on the middle of the table. Finding his usual seat, he sat down with Samehada behind him.

He didn't have to wait for long. Other Akatsuki members soon walked in and took their seats. Sagato began the meeting.

"First of all, congratulations with a job well done. First of all to you, Kisame and Shaka. I take it all went smoothly? You weren't tracked or anything?"

Both shook their heads. Sagato smiled. "Excellent. That means we can move ahead with our plans: The capture and extraction of the Nine-Tails. But first: Zetsu, any news on the war?"

Almost instantly, a hologram of Zetsu appeared. "Yes. It has yet to be confirmed, but rumour states that Danzou is dead, along with all of his loyal forces. But Mist and Sand have entered the war now on Leaf's side while some of the minor villages have joined Cloud and Rock, so a truce seems far away. The main problem is Dracula and his spies. Dracula ruined our chances for getting the Nine-Tails when he fended off Mordred's Uruk-hai."

The hologram seemed to look over his shoulders. "I must go now. They have picked up my trail again."

With that the astral projection disappeared. Deidara chuckled. "Impressive. Not many can track Zetsu like that, hm. Mordred… it seems you have no reason to make fun of me for failing capturing the Nine-Tails, considering how your so called army was taken down by one man, hm. At least I haven't been embarrassed like that before. "

The anger rolling of in waves from the man, or teenager, opposite Deidara caused the light to flicker.

"Watch your tongue Deidara. That group was only the surviving units of what I summoned back at the Kage meeting. I have more than more than one trick up my sleeve, so if you want to fight then I'm more than ready to take on that your pathetic 'art' of yours."

Deidara looked like he was about to blow up from fury. Kisame snickered inwardly. The man, or teenager, adorning the Akatsuki robe looked to be about 16-17 years old, with pale skin and long black hair in an elegant ponytail. Behind him Kisame could see the hilts of two long swords. But what Kisame found just slightly unsettling was his eyes. Bright yellow eyes with dull grey pupils gave you the impression he could look into your mind. But before Kisame, Sagato or Deidara could say anything, a calm voice spoke up.

"Easy Mordred. We did not come here to start a fight. Deidara: Seeking a fight with a Necromancer is stupid. Letting an insult like that get to you is foolish."

Had Kisame been a lesser ninja, he would have jumped in surprise, The seat beside him had been vacant seconds ago, but the voice had clearly spoken from there. Glancing to his left, Kisame almost led pride be damned and it was only with sheer will force that the he didn't bolt from his chair when he looked to his left.

To his left sat a skeleton! A chalk white skeleton that appeared to be smiling slightly as it put its skinless fingers together on the table in front of him. Then again, you couldn't know if it was smiling or not since it had no facial characteristics, although a ghostly mist seemed to emit from it. It was this mist that led Kisame to believe he had been looking at a boy that seemed to be no more 15-16 years old. But what really put Kisame on edge was the green flames dancing in the eye sockets. Kisame chuckled dryly.

"And you must be Spirit then. Well, at least I can tell the difference between you now."

Spirit just turned his head and gave a slight nod and what Kisame hoped was a smile. Devalan almost snorted.

'You can act all you want, Hoshigaki. But I know they freak you out, if only a little. Truth to be told: They freak me out too. I thought they were freaky and gross when they wore those ragged cloaks but now… words can't describe it. The only one who seems to be alright with them is Leader. Which reminds me…'

"Sorry to interrupt, but where is our new member? This unknown Uchiha?"

Sagato shifted his gaze to Devalan. "He is currently taking care of some personal matters. No worries though, he will join us soon enough. Now, before we proceed our planning for the Nine-Tails capture, I would like to know why we are here, in this godforsaken castle."

Spirit chuckled. Or so they assumed. "This ruin is one of the last remaining castles of the ancient time. This is probably the only place in the world where Dracula and his spies can't reach us, which is also the reason I suggested we made it our permanent base. And with all due respect Leader, but Dracula is our main problem at the moment. He is a force to be reckoned with; only a fool or an ignorant would deny that. We will need to have some counter measures in case we are to have a run in with him. Or at least you will. Mordred…"

Mordred nodded as he pulled out several kunai from his robes, the blades tightly wrapped in black fabric.

"Those kunai may seem like normal kunai to you, but make no mistake. These kunai has been fused with our Death chakra and laced with poison from the great Basilisk of Hebi; a creature that came long before Dracula was even born. Its poison was strong enough to harm any of the nine Bijuu. So it should be strong enough to kill Dracula."

Spirit nodded. "As my former apprentice, Mordred, pointed out, it should be strong enough to kill Dracula. Of course the Basilisk of Hebi is long gone, killed by the united powers of Dracula and his, at that time, apprentice. I believe you call him the Sage of Six Paths. So reconstructing the poison from the DNA samples the first Necromancer collected was quite a challenge, and as such, our store is limited. Furthermore, we have imbued the kunai with jutsu that, basically, will make the kunai travel through time and space, always aiming for Dracula. But as always: There is no guarantee it will work. As for how we will fight him, if it comes down to it: Let's just the say, the powers of the sun are quite unpredictable. Now… we can discuss the Nine-Tails. Oh, and Deidara: Do yourself a favour; don't touch the blade. The poison will corrode through your skin and kill you."

Deidara nearly fell down from his chair in shock. He had been about to touch the tip of the kunai that had protruded from the fabric. Carefully rewrapping the kunai, Deidara placed it in a kunai holster in his pocket, ignoring Mordred's laughter.

'You can never be too careful, hm. Bloody talking skeleton, hm.'

The other Akatsuki members seemed to have similar thoughts. Sagato chuckled to himself as he pocketed the knife.

'Trust a Necromancer to scare Deidara. Then again: You never know with a Necromancer. Perhaps they are telling the truth, perhaps they aren't. In any case, I won't trust the kunai alone to keep Dracula at bay if I ever should encounter him.'

"Now, unless any of you have something to say, we will proceed with the plan for capturing the Nine-Tails. We planned to take him while he was outside the city walls, but we missed our chance. So who should it be? Deidara is out, considering he already has fulfilled his quota. Zetsu is out too since we need him to bring the Jinchuuriki here. Plus, we can't allow Dracula and his spies to get their hands on him. It would endanger us immensely. The last thing we need is a ninja of Dracula's calibre breathing down our necks."

"I will go. Haven't been in a battle for some time. A powerful Jinchuuriki should be just what I need to get back in form."

The cold, yet calm voice of Spirit caused all heads to turn to him. Then Devalan laughed. "No offence, Spirit, but you don't seem to could withstand a single punch. Aren't you afraid you will fall apart? Quite literally? I mean, aren't you quite fragile?"

A remark like that would have caused Kisame to go for Devalan's throat instantly. So he watched with disbelief and curiosity when Spirit laughed alongside Devalan. A laughter that made Kisame's blood run cold. After one minute, Spirit spoke again.

"True. A punch from you might be able to knock me apart. That is, if you can hit me at all. Which is very unlikely. You are playing with the big boys now."

At this, a flash of fury crossed Devalan's features as he stood up, scythe in hand. "Are you challenging me? Let's fight then! Right here, right now!"

Spirit didn't move. He just chuckled. "No reason for that. You have already lost."

A look of surprise could be seen on Devalan's face, but only for a second. The surprise vanished and was replaced with one of utter horror and he began screaming, clearly in agony, clutching his head like there was no tomorrow. Soon Devalan was rolling on the floor, his entire body writhing in pain. And then, just as suddenly he had begun screaming and squirming in agony, he stopped. But he didn't stand up again. He just lay on the floor, gasping for air. Mordred chuckled, mirth lacing every word.

"Spirit-sensei was known as 'Spirit the Mind Flayer' for a reason, Devalan. His attacks are attacks on the mind itself. But unlike the Yamanaka clan, he doesn't take control over your body, just your mind. He can read your mind, your deepest desires, your worst nightmares, fears, memories and turn them against you. He can mess up your mind so much that your chakra becomes unstable. And unlike the Yamanaka clan, his control can't be broken by sheer willpower or alter egos.

And unlike genjutsu, it can't be broken by forcing your chakra into the victim, hitting the target or Spirit. Nor can it be broken by redirecting your chakra. The only escape is Spirit himself releasing you. That or killing yourself."

Sagato smiled. "Excellent. That makes Spirit the perfect choice for this mission. Who will go with him, just in case something goes wrong?"

Shaka sighed. "As bothersome as it is, I think I will have to go with him. I know the defences of the Hidden Leaf better than any of you. And I know how to bypass them, even if they have changed. After all, I helped device the security system in case of war."

'Although, I don't want to join this Spirit. Orochimaru was creepy and scary enough, but I finally begin to understand why Necromancers were feared. Heh, I suddenly understand why Orochimaru would want to join them. Their knowledge are impressive and their jutsu just downright fabulous. Orochimaru would have felt like a child in a candy shop if he had joined. He would fit perfectly with them. And to be honest: The idea of Orochimaru having their knowledge and some of their powers scares even me.'

Sagato nodded his consent. "Then it's settled. Spirit and Shaka shall go to the Leaf village and capture the Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki. Dismissed and good luck."

With that they all left, except for Kisame. A small grin appeared on his face. 'Well, that was certainly interesting.'

00000

Dawn. The Village Hidden in the Leaves had been in for a quite a shock. The acting Hokage had been murdered and so had a lot of ANBU members. Although, hours later the ANBU had read through all of their personal files and only few matched the victims. So the ANBU soon came to the conclusion that most of the killed had been Root members. What disturbed most of the ninjas rebelling against Danzou was the ease the Root seemed to have been taken down with. No traces of a fight, just the corpses with a sliced throat or a hole from a sword through the chest. Even their former and current base had been completely destroyed. Yamato scratched his neck, a habit he had picked up from Kakashi.

"What do you think about all of this Itachi?"

Itachi glanced at the two other occupants of the Hokage Office, Sai and Yamato. "I don't know what to think. The precision and efficiency this was carried out with resembles the one you find among ANBU. We didn't even know what was happening until that mark appeared in the sky. I can only conclude what you already have concluded: This was an assassination, and a skilful one at that. What do you think, Sai-kun?"

Sai merely shook his head. "Not much to add Itachi-san. I just find it slightly disturbing that the entire Root was taken down so easily. But I'm afraid you're going to be the prime suspect, Itachi-san."

Itachi just nodded. He figured that much. "I suppose you're right. But that is the last of our worries. We just got another problem at our hands to deal with. A problem that might prove to be more challenging than the war and Akatsuki. Yamato-san, you need to inform the Elders. Just in case they haven't seen it already. Tell them that it's an emergency."

Yamato nodded, a curious expression adorning his features. Itachi looked out the window and into the sky. Floating in the sky, was a huge skeleton snake surrounded by green flames, about to swallow a sphere. Itachi frowned, the nagging feeling he had felt since midnight not going away.

'The skeleton snake eating the sun… no doubt about it. The crest of the Vampire clan. Only one remains from that cursed clan. The Night Lord, Dracula, is on the move again.'

End chapter 20


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Truth behind the Lies.

Dracula watched in silence from the hilltop as the sun slowly rose, brow furrowed in concentration.

'So Hades went to the Hidden Lead last night and placed our clan's mark in sky? It can only mean one thing: He has claimed the Leaf as a part of his domain by annihilating the previous ruler.'

Dracula let out a small sigh.

"Not that I'm sorry that Danzou is dead or anything, but Hades is getting out of control. On top of that, his power is increasing. Then again, I shouldn't be surprised. The last of the Vampire clan are bound to be powerful. Especially when one of them is the infamous Dracula and the other is the last descendant of Lycan with the Vampire clan's Kekkei Genkai."

He glanced at the moon behind him, its form fading from the sky as the sun rose higher. So far its beams of life, or death in Dracula's case, wouldn't reach him for at least 20 minutes. Shifting his gaze towards north, he slightly raised an eyebrow before chuckling silently. The North Star was still visible in the sky, its light dulling by the minute.

"Well, would you look at that? Still mocking me with your smile, eh Messiah? Or as you're called by most, Sage of Six Paths? I remember when I took you under my tutelage when you were 4. I remember how you studied hard and later created modern ninjutsu at the age of 12, or at least the founding theory, and I soon saw you would become a powerful man. But fate wouldn't let it be so. A year after we took down the Basilisk of Hebi, the Juubi or Ten-Tails as it would be in normal human tongue went on a rampage. Had I known what the evil power I split from my body could do… well, I killed the fool who got the ingenious idea of gathering all of my spilled blood in one pool, but that didn't help us did it? And after managing to seal the Juubi inside of you, the world begged you to rid it of another evil: Me. I remember you facing me with a smile on your lips. Not the same warm smile that you wore when you first found out I would be your teacher or when you accomplished creating ninjutsu as the world know them today. It was a sad smile, and I guessed you smiled at irony of the situation."

Dracula let out another small sigh.

"The irony that you would have to face your master in combat after said master helped you seal away a demon that threatened to lay the world in ruin. When we met years later, this time to extract the Juubi from you and split its powers into nine, you gave me another smile, mocking me despite the situation. And for the briefest moment I saw the same kid giving me a mocking smile after accomplishing something his master could not: Focus his energy and use it as a weapon better than people many years his seniors could. How you smiled when you was the teacher and I the student. But of course I quickly caught up and when I learned to control my Death Element chakra, after your throughout explanation of the six natures of the chakra, I once again became the master. But listen to me, I'm rambling. Again."

He sighed yet again, but this time, the sigh was long.

"I'm getting a severe headache here Messiah. The seal to keep the Ten-Tails' body inside the Moon is weakening. Not that the moon you created will fall apart, but we both knew that even dividing its chakra and sealing away its body wouldn't be enough to keep it in check forever. Even though its chakra and body was taken from it, its mind still remains intact and in function. Given enough time, the nine Bijuu that have roamed the world till this day would get connected through the mind. And although each of the Great Nine Beasts, or Bijuu, have developed their own personalities over the years, their basic mind remains the Ten-Tails' and its mind will overpower theirs. How I know this? Because I'm the origin of the Ten-Tails. And I share a telepathic one-way link with him, even after all this time. Through that link I have been able to check that he was dormant and not trying to establish similar links with the Great Nine. But nearly two decades ago, this year being 19 years ago on October 10th to be exact, it began stirring, sending images of the past to me. The link suddenly wasn't one-way, but two-way. And as I soon found out, it was also sending images to the Great Nine."

He was silent for nearly one minute. When he spoke, his voice was just above a whisper, the murderous intent rolling off him in waves.

"I can only come up with one answer: The Juubi seeks to unite its nine parts on one place and through their mind, make them become one again, thus reviving the Ten-Tails to its former power and I won't be strong enough to stop it. And to make things worse, he knows that. That's why I need my apprentice and heir, Hades, to become stronger than me. And fast so that he can stop the Ten-Tails, should it come to it. Time is running out. A group called Akatsuki is gathering the Bijuu and intend to use their power to create a weapon of unseen dimensions. I don't what is the worst case scenario: The Ten-Tails on the loose once again or a group of power-hungry humans with such power at their disposal."

He frowned deeply, lost in thought.

'And the fact that the Necromancers, people who have studied my elite forces and my clan's deadly arts have joined Akatsuki is quite disturbing. No matter how hard I try to figure out their motives, I just can't. They don't care about money and they don't know what happened to the Elves, so revenge is out too. Unless they are plotting vengeance against me? Wouldn't put it past them considering I almost wiped them out years before the Elves came around.'

His frown deepened slightly and he closed his eyes. 'And just like me, they know the Ten-Tails can't be allowed to return to this world. So what do they want to accomplish by joining Akatsuki? Think… what was the first Necromancer studying when I found him out? Think back…'

His eyes flew open as he remembered. He quickly stood up and gazed to the east.

"This is bad. If Spirit and Mordred intend to bring the first Necromancer's plans to fruition, the world and I are going to have our hands full. If I hadn't enough to worry about with Hades and the Ten-Tails, but now this too? The Bijuu think I sealed them away to protect humankind from their power. Just like everybody thinks I killed Messiah because he once opposed me."

He began flying low, away from the sun."The part about me sealing the Bijuu away the way I did isn't a lie, but it isn't the truth either. I sealed the Bijuu away to protect them from humanity's greed and thus protect humankind from itself. But as usual… humans never learn what is good for them and what isn't."

He sighed as he teleported midair, away from the sunlight. If Dracula was right, and he was sure he was, things were about to get more complicated than they already were.

00000

When Naruto came around midday; his head felt like Gamabunta had decided to hold a party inside it with friends. In other words: He wished he had the worst hangovers ever instead of all the thoughts running through his brain. According to Shizune, Raidou and Aoba had brought him back to the Hatake Estate at Ino's request. He hadn't talked to Ino since that time, but according to rumours, Inoichi Yamanaka had started hunting for the culprit. Then again, he had heard it from Sasuke. So it was most likely just his attempt to get him to pass out again even though Sasuke didn't know why Naruto had passed out.

It was late evening now, and Naruto had barely moved an inch from his position against the window in his room, thoughts running hundreds of miles per hour. He was thinking about who could have snuck into the village without being detected, assassinated the Hokage, not that he sad about it or anything taking into consideration he hadn't forgotten the stunt Danzou tried pulling two years ago when Sai had been assigned to their team. But still, he found it very unsettling that someone could sneak into the village and take down a smaller army and the Hokage and then get out without anyone being the wiser. His first guess would be Itachi, but he had an alibi. The other was Kakashi, but he couldn't see a reason. That and he didn't want to think that a man he had grown to admire and partly love would deal such a blow against his own village. It would be the same as admitting that Kakashi almost killed him and the girls in cold blood and thus be the same as admitting Kakashi no longer was on their side. Of course he hadn't told anybody about Kakashi still being alive since people would think he was crazy and most likely send him to a psychologist. And god would know that he had had enough of someone like that two years ago.

Then there was the mark still floating high in the sky, its light illuminating the village with an eerie green light. But, as Naruto mused after staring at it for some time, it wasn't good for nothing. It seemed the mark to make the Cloud-nin keep their distance as there hadn't been any air strikes all day. But even though Danzou was dead, the fighting and war hadn't ceased. From what Naruto could gather from the sninobi who frequently came to the Hatake Estate, Cloud and Rock wanted to investigate Danzou and ANBU's affairs themselves which the Elders had instantly turned down. So a ceasefire wasn't in sight at the moment. Fortunately for the Leaf Village, Sand's scorpion riders were more than enough to cover the border between the countries of Rain, Wind and Fire while also hindering Rock's tanks in advancing as the scorpions had proved to be more than a force to be reckoned with. Add to that, but the Tsuchikage was too stubborn to admit that Gaara controlled his army at least as well as he handled his own.

And lastly, the tension between Mist and Cloud was reaching the boiling point after Mist had sunk a couple of the Cloud's ships after they refused to pull out of Mist's waters. And it didn't exactly become better that Mist had entered Cloud's waters and destroyed a couple of the places where Cloud launched their planes from afar.

Naruto didn't know how many people had died during the war, but he knew the number was increasing day by day. One of them was Kahoyo, the chuunin who had told him Gaara's eagles were approaching.

Naruto sighed when he thought about his comrades who were hospitalized. Hinata and Sakura were still in the ITU, but at least they were completely stable and would be transferred to a normal ward in the morning. Shikamaru had been brought in early afternoon with chakra exhaustion but he should be able to move again in a day or two, but Kiba hadn't been so lucky. He had been brought in with punctured lung and an open leg fracture. Konohamaru had gotten a concussion when he had been hit with a piece of iron from one of Rock's tanks as one of the heavy scorpions had ripped it apart with its claws and then tossed the iron away.

But amidst the bad things, there were good things too. Or at least, for some there was. Itachi's trial was to be held tomorrow, and Naruto, despite himself, wanted Itachi to have a fair trial. Itachi seemed indifferent though. Like he couldn't care less.

But what pleased Naruto the most was that Tsunade had woken up of her coma. He needed someone to talk to about Ino's pregnancy. Usually he would have turned to Iruka, but he wasn't in the mood for a lecture before given advice. And Kakashi was out of the question and so was Jiraiya; although from different reasons. The latter was dead while he wasn't strong enough to confront the former.

The only bad part about Tsunade waking up was that the ANBU guarded her like a dragon guards its treasure.

'But,' Naruto mused, 'you can hardly blame them. After all, one Hokage has been murdered. Wouldn't do us good at all to lose another one.'

Naruto frowned as he glanced out of the window again. He had just caught sight of a couple of blond pig tails as they disappeared into the forest.

'Granny Tsunade… where are you going? You shouldn't be on your own, least of all now. You should have ANBU with you, especially if you go…'

His eyes widened dramatically. 'No, Granny Tsunade!'

He stormed out of his room, almost flew down the stair and out of the doors of the Hatake Estate, without bothering getting on sandals or shoes. As he went, he summoned Pakkun and explained what he had seen. Although Pakkun had been rather grumpy being summoned at that hour, he soon forgot that when he heard where Naruto thought Tsunade was headed: The Hatake Shrine.

If Naruto hadn't been so concerned, he would be cursing himself for not putting shoes on as his feet more than once sank down in the snow.

However, he didn't need Pakkun to point out that it was odd that no of the traps in the forest had been set off. But when the pug and Naruto arrived at the temple, Naruto's jaw almost hit the ground in shock.

Two grey wolves were forming a protective circle around a kneeling Tsunade, her face buried in the smaller one's fur. And unless Naruto's ears were deceiving him, he heard sobs from Tsunade. Pakkun glanced at the two wolves and the Hokage before gazing at Naruto.

He kept his voice down, hoping the wolves didn't hear him. "I guess I'm done here. They won't harm her. Goodnight, Naruto."

Upon Naruto's affirmative nod, Pakkun disappeared in a small cloud of smoke. For how long Naruto stood there, watching in silence, he didn't know. He just wished he could get closer so he could he hear what Tsunade was saying and crying about as he more than once witnessed the wolves gently nuzzled her with their snouts. Just as he was about to walk away, he felt several pointy objects pierce his forearms. But he wasn't surprised to see they belonged to two black wolves, staring back at him with yellow eyes. A third black wolf appeared and without making a sound, the two holding Naruto began dragging him towards the grey ones and Tsunade.

And since Naruto knew struggling only would make it worse, he simply allowed them to drag him onwards. And much to his surprise and amazement, they didn't bit harder, but they still kept a firm hold on him. But he didn't exactly enjoy being pushed hard in the back so he fell face first into the snow just to have a paw with claws firmly planted on his head, seemingly to keep him down and expose his throat. Naruto suddenly found himself wondering what he had gotten himself into this time.

He mentally groaned. 'When do I learn to keep my nose out of these sorts of things?'

The one who had planted its paw on Naruto spoke as it bowed, sending shivers down Naruto's spine.

"Greetings Lupus-sama, Huntress-sama, Tsunade-hime. I apologize for interrupting, but we found an intruder. Lupus-sama, what is your command?"

Lupus, the wolf closest to Naruto, raised his head and stared at the blond beneath the other wolf's paw, his red eyes boring into Naruto's blue one. Apparently he recognized him as he growled.

"I recognize this human. He led that old man to this shrine. Kill him."

Naruto suddenly found himself quite nervous as the wolf's hot breath hit his throat. He needed to think of something, and fast!

"Granny Tsunade! I could use a little help over here! Oi, can you hear me? Granny Tsunade!"

Tsunade slowly looked up, her eyes red-rimmed from tears, eyes glazed over with sorrow. But as she made eye contact with Naruto, just as the wolf on top of him was about to bury its teeth in his throat, she spoke up.

"Naruto? What are you doing here?"

Not quite what Naruto had hoped she would say, but it was better than nothing as Lupus spoke, authority in his voice. "Fang, stop."

The black wolf immediately stopped its mouth from closing around Naruto's throat and stood back up. Lupus shifted his attention to Tsunade, who still sat on the ground, meeting his gaze.

"Tsunade-hime. I take it you know this young cub?"

Normally Naruto would protested after being referred to as young cub, as he was not an animal. But one warning look from Tsunade made him shut up. She shifted her gaze back to Lupus, who clearly awaited her answer as he stood up.

"Yes Lupus-sama, I know him. He is a friend of mine and one of the students of Kakashi Hatake. So please… release him and let him live, Lupus-sama."

Lupus turned his hard gaze at Naruto before speaking in calm voice. "Fang, Padfoot, and Claw: Release him. It would not look good killing a friend of Kakashi-sama. You're dismissed."

The three black wolves instantly released Naruto before disappearing in clouds of smoke. Getting on his feet, Naruto noticed that Lupus still kept an eye on him while Huntress stood up, supporting Tsunade as she too got on her feet. But he had to hold back a gasp as he eyed the grey female wolf. It didn't have any scars at all, and its amber eyes held something soothing in them. But her teeth showed she was prepared to use them if she should deem it necessary. Her growling underlined that. Tsunade chuckled slightly.

"It's alright Huntress. He is one of the good guys." She looked at Naruto. "I suppose you have a lot of questions Naruto? I will answer them, but not here. Too open. Lupus-sama… I know it goes against Kakashi's orders but…"

Lupus just nodded his head in understanding. "No worries Tsunade-hime. My mate and I will stand guard. You won't be disturbed; you have my word on that."

Tsunade nodded her head tin thanks before gesturing for Naruto to join them. He hesitated at first, but after a couple of impatient click from Tsunade, he hurried over. To his surprise, Tsunade pulled out a black cloth. Tsunade chuckled again as Naruto stared at her with a wide eye.

"Relax Naruto. You have to be blindfolded if you're to enter the Hatake Temple or Shrine. Different names for the same building."

Naruto didn't have time to protest before he was blindfolded by Tsunade and he almost jumped when he felt Tsunade take his right hand in her left. Her voice calmed him down. After all, with two murderous looking wolves, one couldn't feel too safe. He felt himself walking up the stairs, Tsunade leading him safely all the way. He heard the heavy iron doors being opened as they creaked so much that Naruto was sure it could be heard from Leaf to Sand. Tsunade gently guided him in before closing the doors. This time, however, it didn't make a sound. But Naruto spoke up in worry as he didn't hear them close.

"What the hell? Grandma Tsunade, are you there? Have you closed the doors yet?"

Tsunade chuckled slightly as she took hold of Naruto's hand again. "Yes. Trust it to the Hatake clan to keep a secret. Kakashi's granddad, Sakumo and Kakashi placed several seals inside and outside the temple. No sound will escape those rooms. Before we proceed, you must give me your word that you won't take off your blindfold."

Naruto hesitated before nodding. "You have my word Granny Tsunade. And I never go back on my word, believe it."

Tsunade smiled. "Good. Now, let's take a walk and talk. I guess you have a lot of questions."

As they began walking, Naruto immediately started firing off questions. "Granny Tsunade, how come you were so friendly with the wolves out there? Why didn't they rip you to pieces? Why haven't you taken your guards with you? Why didn't you question me when I was dragged into the clearing by the wolves? I could have been an impostor! And how on earth can it be you're so familiar with this place? According to Pakkun, Itachi and others, this place should be filled with booby traps. So why haven't we set any off? "

Tsunade sighed, suddenly feeling older than her age. But she knew she owed him some answers. "I didn't question you because I didn't need to. As you hopefully know, the Inuzuka clan's dog can smell an enemy's strength. Well, those wolves sense of smell is even better. They can smell the chakra signature of an intruder and memorize it down to the smallest detail after having taken it in once. And if that wasn't enough, they smell the flow of chakra too, a lot like Byakugan can. So if you had transformed into someone or something else, and they had smelled your scent before, they would detect the deception in seconds and kill you on the spot unless you either drop the disguise or leave."

She sighed again. And this time, Naruto could hear much more than age exhausting her. Grief, despair and regret laced every word as she spoke again.

"Naruto: Please don't think ill of me when I tell you this: I have met them before. The first time was when I became pregnant with Sakumo's child."

She paused before continuing. "Naruto… your sensei, Kakashi Hatake… was… and still is… my only child. My son."

End chapter 21.


	22. Chapter 22

AN: Thanks to all of those who have reviewed and added me to their alerts and favourite story/favourite author. Without further ado, here is the next chapter

Chapter 22: Secrets, Trial and Motions.

"Naruto… your sensei, Kakashi Hatake… was… and still is… my only child. My son."

Naruto sat in silence, too numbed by what he just heard. But not for long. "WHAT? Granny Tsunade, if this is a joke, it isn't funny!"

Tsunade shook her head forgetting all about Naruto being blindfolded. "No Naruto, it's true. I'm indeed Kakashi's mother. The picture you must have seen with Sakumo and his wife, the Third Hokage and us Sannin… it told a lie. A lie that even now, 32 years later, has yet to be discovered."

Naruto thought back to the photo he had seen together with Sasuke and Sakura as they went through Kakashi's old stuff. When he spoke, his voice was low, but his confusion showed nonetheless.

"There was a picture of you, Pervy Sage, Orochimaru, Old Man Third Hokage, Kakashi's dad and a woman. The woman had long black hair, a happy smile on her face and grey eyes. I could clearly see some of Kakashi-sensei's features in her. How can they look so much alike if she wasn't his mother? It makes no sense."

Tsunade sighed and she felt tears starting to pool in her eyes. "That woman was Natalie Hatake, Sakumo's wife, born Natalie Kikki. And indeed, Kakashi has some of his facial features from her. But… Naruto, I'm telling you the truth. I'm Kakashi's mother."

Naruto frowned behind his blindfold. "Then I don't understand. Why…"

Tsunade cut him off, knowing that the cat was out of the bag now, and for Naruto to understand, she needed to have the whole story out. If only to him and simplified.

"We were at war at that time. Both Sakumo and the Sannin were young and successful, but the war was taking its toll on our minds back then. Add to that, but for a time it looked like Leaf would lose. One night, after a mission gone awry for the Sannin, I met up with Sakumo in a bar. Like us, he had just returned from a mission gone wrong. We both got pretty drunk and we ended up in this temple. Sakumo said it was here he usually came when he wanted to think about a mission, meditate or forget. Both of us wanted to forget our missions where friends of us lost their lives."

She took a deep breath, a single tear making its way down her left cheek before she continued her tale.

"You should know where this is headed. Both of us ended up naked on the floor and soon we were lost in pleasure, despite Sakumo being engaged to my best friend through almost two decades, Natalie Kikki, both of us wanting to forget so badly. To someone with morals and ideals like yourself, you will say what we did was wrong and I agree with you. But back then, things were different. Back then, we lived after the codex that you should sleep, drink, eat and enjoy yourself when you could. Pretty much the same as how ANBU lives, even now. One week later, Sakumo and Natalie married. But much to Natalie's despair, she found out she couldn't bear children. An old damage from a fight. It was around that time Sakumo and I confessed our little affair to Natalie. She was shocked of course, but she forgave us. Back then, if a child was born outside marriage, the father was to decide whatever should happen to the child; even if it meant abandoning it in the forest. In order to avoid a scandal of unseen proportions to rise, we needed to think fast. The scandal and dishonour that would fall on all of us was also the reason I never came forth with all of this in the past or never took Kakashi in after his father's death. Anyway, we didn't know about abortion back then, so I was forced to have the child. In order to conceal the deception, as rumours of Natalie's misfortune of being sterile were on the rise, Natalie and I switched identities. Not with a Transformation jutsu, we needed something much stronger than that."

Naruto was silent for almost five minutes, waiting for Tsunade to continue. He didn't like this revelation, nope, he didn't like it at all. He wanted to scream and rage at her for abandoning Kakashi like that, but also knew that was probably the last thing she needed right now. Tsunade needed comfort, not lecturing. And, no matter how much he hated the wrongness of it, he understood that the way of thinking was different back then and that if the truth came out, it could be disasterous. It was only when he heard the small sobs escaping the woman he snapped out of his musings and decided to speak up.

"Granny Tsunade? If you don't want to continue, I won't push you. We can stop now if you want."

Tsunade sobbed again, the memories bringing tears to her eyes. Wiping them away, she regained control over her voice.

"No, I want to continue. To get it of my chest. Now where was I? Oh yes, how we fooled everyone and veiled the trick. Sakumo and Orochimaru put their heads together and made a genjutsu so strong it could fool the Sharingan and Byakugan combined. I don't think Orochimaru knew what for, but he was always happy to help Sakumo since they became friends through Jiraiya. The three of them would often sit and play chess, with Jiraiya losing every game. Well, the geniuses figured it out and placed the genjutsu on me and Natalie. The deception was made easier and more plausible since our fighting styles were almost identical. That and she was a great Medic-nin herself. It was herself who found out she couldn't have kids and she most likely the only person Sakumo Hatake, the White Fang ever feared. Natalie, the Leaf's Black Rose. And around 8 months later, on September 15, I gave birth to Kakashi under the pretend to be Natalie Hatake. Sakumo and Natalie raised Kakashi after that."

Naruto nodded to show he understood, thoughts running hundred of miles per hour. But something was nagging him.

"There is one thing I don't understand: As Kakashi grew up, wouldn't it have become obvious Natalie wasn't his mother? I mean, the two of you look different after all. I mean, she was really good looking."

Tsunade stared at Naruto for a moment. Then she whacked him upside the head, pretty hard as a matter of fact. "Are you calling me ugly you brat?"

Naruto suddenly understood why she had hit and couldn't blame her. "No Granny, it wasn't meant like that! I… I just remember Kakashi-sensei's face. There was no feature that even resembled you."

Tsunade stared at the blond teenager, and reigned in the urge to punch him again, just for good measure. That, and she wanted to let some frustration out. Then she smiled a sad smile, once again forgetting that Naruto couldn't see it.

"Yes, his facial features could have proven difficult to explain as he grew up. But you're forgetting something, Naruto. As I said, Natalie was medic-nin too and together we took the measures to prevent our deception to be discovered by accident. With medical jutsu, the two of us altered Kakashi's features gradually as he grew up till he was around 2 years old. Damn kid, he was always smarter than most. Most people have memories from when they are around 3 years old. Kakashi have memories from when he was 2½ years old."

Naruto gave a slight nod in understanding. "How many? How many knew the truth?"

Tsunade gave a tired sigh. She needed to rest unless if she wasn't to fall asleep during Itachi's trial. Sometimes, being Hokage sucked.

"Aside from Natalie, Sakumo and myself? Only you. Sarutobi-sensei, Orochimaru and Jiraiya might have had their suspicions, but they never knew for sure. Perhaps Kakashi suspected our connection were deeper, but he never asked questions about it. What I know is that it hurt when he was sent out on missions, it being the Third, your father or myself. It was painful not to know if the mission he was going on would be the last. I often cried myself to sleep from the day he went and till he returned. But I knew I couldn't share my pain with anybody. They would call me crazy and questions that are better left unanswered would arise."

Her voice shook as she gently removed Naruto's blindfold. "Until now."

Naruto blinked for a couple of times, his eyes adjusting to the light. Glancing around, he almost passed out from shock. He was sitting in the middle of a circular room of white marble, the fire from the torches illuminating it. There was a green iron door behind, and since it was the only door in the room, Naruto soon concluded it was from there they came. The walls were lined with blue inscriptions, but Naruto didn't understand any of it. He glanced from the walls to Tsunade and back, silently asking for a translation. But to his shock, and disappointment, Tsunade shook her head.

"I don't know what it is saying. The Hatake clan had their own language. Only a Hatake with instructions from a Hatake would be able to read it and understand it. The clans of Senju and Uchiha might have been the most powerful, but the Hatake surpasses both of them when it comes to keeping secrets."

She fell silent and Naruto wondered briefly if she was going to pass out or have a heart attack. Just he was about to give her a poke, she spoke. He almost didn't hear it since her voice was so low.

"Naruto: Can I tell you something?"

Naruto gave a nod, giving her a small smile. "Of course Granny. Anything."

Tsunade, who had lowered her head, looked up into his eyes. "And you won't tell anybody, laugh or think I'm crazy, no matter how insane it may sound?"

Naruto was now growing worried. What could be so bad that she wanted him to promise he wouldn't tell anybody? She might not have said it out loud, but Naruto knew she wanted his word.

Naruto gave a reassuring smile and nod. "I promise, I won't tell, laugh, or think you're insane. So please, tell me. I will listen."

Tsunade took a steadying breath before locking eyes with Naruto. "I believe Kakashi has cheated death once again and still walks the earth. Why? Because I woke when I heard these words:

_I'm gone for some time and immediately the village go to the dogs. This isn't the time to be sleeping, Old Lady Tsunade. Time to wake up_. I can recognize my son's voice any day a week and it was his voice I heard. You probably think I'm crazy, but that is the truth. Kakashi is still alive, I'm sure of it."

Naruto was in shock. Whatever he thought she was going to say, he didn't expect her to say something like that. But before he could say something, Tsunade blindfolded him again before taking his hand and led him out of the shrine. And while they walked, Naruto thought about how similar the situation of Ino and himself was to that of Tsunade and Sakumo, and he wondered what the best course of action would be.

But another thing was on his mind. He wasn't the only one who knew Kakashi was alive. Tsunade knew it too, even if was on subconscious level. And he vowed that the two of them would bring others to see it too so they could bring Kakashi back.

The final thought that came to mind before he drifted to sleep was how much Tsunade trusted in him by telling him such a big secret. And he wondered that if he could trust Tsunade with a secret of his own: That he had gotten Ino pregnant.

00000

Sasuke Uchiha was not a happy Uchiha. Why? Because he wouldn't really get a say as to what Itachi should be sentenced as he no longer was part of the Clan Council. Reason: Since Obito was back, he was the oldest living Uchiha in the Leaf Village, and as such, head of the Uchiha clan making his seat in the Clan Council his right. And for some reason, neither Homura or Koharu, the two remaining Elder, seemed pleased with this new development. They had even went so far to question Obito's integrity as he was believed dead and all other Uchihas, aside from Sasuke and Itachi, were killed by Itachi. In other words, he must be an impostor.

Obito had countered that accusation through a DNA test and the activation of the Sharingan in his right eye. And while he was at it, he pointed out that he could sue the counsel of the Hidden Leaf Village for not trying to search for his corpse, even if it was to destroy it. The threat for being sued was more than enough for people to drop the issue, and thus they didn't ask a very obvious question: How he survived the cave-in in the first place.

But when Sasuke had taken his place in the audience for Itachi's trial and Obito had walked by, he swore that Obito had mumbled something along the lines of "stuffy busy-bodies, old hag, retirement, put away in the attic and throw away the key to the attic, and burn the house."

The Clan Council, and thus all the people who would pass on a sentence upon Itachi for his deeds, was assembled. The judges as they stood behind their seats from left to right:

The Inuzuka clan represented by Kiba's mother Tsume, Akimichi by Chouza, Inoichi representing the Yamanaka, Obito from Uchiha, from the Nara clan Shikaku, Homaru Mitokado being an Elder, Tsunade being the Hokage, Koharu Utatane being another Elder, vacant seat since Danzou was no more, Hiashi from Hyuuga, Shibi from Aburame and a vacant seat. The last seat was where Kakashi would have been seated as the representative from the Hatake clan. But since his children weren't of age and he never got to marry Anko, no one could claim to be head of the Hatake clan.

In front of the judges was a long table and some feet away from them in a metal cage with a chair and a small table in it was Itachi. He didn't seem nervous, even as the ANBU lining the walls shifted slightly on their feet.

As Tsunade took her seat, the clan heads followed suit. The trial could begin. The Elders went first by mentioning Itachi's crimes: The murder of the Uchiha clan, his actions as a member of Akatsuki, and not to forget, prime suspect of the assassination of Danzou Shimura, a Village Elder.

Tsunade spoke up. "Itachi Uchiha, age 25, born on June 9, ninja registration 012110, what is your answer to the charge of massacre of the Uchiha clan?"

Itachi, now wearing a black kimono, stood and met Tsunade's eyes. "Guilty."

Tsunade spoke again. "Itachi Uchiha, age 25, born June 9, ninja registration 012110, what is your answer to the charge of the crimes you have committed as a member of Akatsuki? This include attacks on several villages and their sninobi, here under sninobi from this village, Kakashi Hatake, Asuma Sarutobi, Kurenai Yuuhi and Maito Gai, abduction of Jinchuuriki, here under the current Kazekage, and murder on said Jinchuuriki?"

"Guilty."

Tsunade nodded. His answer was what she had predicted after what Shikamaru, Neji and Sakura told her before Christmas. She spoke again.

"Itachi Uchiha, age 25, born on June 9, ninja registration 012110, what is your answer to the charge of the assassination of Danzou Shimura, a Village Elder, and numerous ANBU Root members?"

Itachi's reply answer came the instant Tsunade stopped speaking. "Not guilty."

Tsunade stared at Itachi. Seeing that Koharu was about to state her disbelief, Tsunade spoke again.

"Please explain to me Itachi-san, how you as a prime suspect of the charge and convicted criminal, can claim yourself not guilty so freely."

Itachi nodded and spoke with a clear voice, facing the clan head. "Honourable Hokage, Village Elders and Clan Heads. I admit I don't have any concrete proof that I'm innocent in that crime. But two things indicate that I didn't commit the crime. One: The medics have, aside from aiding the wounded in the Hospital, worked on determining the time of death for honourable Village Elder Danzou and the ANBU members found all over the village. With me I have the medics' report and copies of it. If I may?"

Tsunade nodded her approval and an ANBU with a mouse mask stepped near the cage and asked for the reports by extending one hand. Itachi passed them on silently and the ANBU soon passed on the copies to the judges. When all of the judges had a copy in hand, Itachi spoke again.

"This report contains 20 pages of the deceased ANBU, or should I say members of the disbanded Root division, with dates of when they went missing or officially were announced dead, their registration number, list of relatives, how death occurred, and most importantly to this: Where they were found and when the medics have determined death occurred. If you take a look on the determined time of death on each victim, you will see that from when one victim died, the next was dead around 30 seconds later. And that is even if the bodies were found throughout the entire village. Even with my ANBU training and other powers, I wouldn't be able to pull it off successfully. Too much ground to cover and too little time to do it. Add to that that some of the victims were sensors; they would most likely have noticed me and prepared for a fight. But as the report clearly states, if we set aside the victims found in the Hokage Office, none of the other victims seemed to have put up a struggle. And more than 10 people can confirm that I wasn't anywhere near the Hokage Tower that night. I was at the Hatake Mansion, being supervised by Lord Uchiha."

Itachi took a deep breath before speaking again. "Reason number two: The mark in the sky. It's the crest of the Vampire Clan. A mark they put into the sky when they had defeated a powerful enemy or claimed new land to add to their territory. Only a member of the Vampire clan would be able to conjure that mark. And only one remains of that clan. Dracula is on the move again."

This statement was met differently by the people in the room. Inoichi, Chouza, Tsume and Obito looked confused, the Elders and Hiashi stared at him with disbelief written all over their faces, and Shibi remained impassive while Shikaku and Tsunade narrowed their eyes slightly. Shikaku because he tried figuring out if Itachi was making fun of them while Tsunade narrowed her eyes because she remembered her last meeting with Dracula.

The audience was a different matter though. A lot, especially the younger was whispering about why Itachi talked about a guy from a movie while others just laughed at the absurd statement. Naruto, however, did neither. He too remembered all too clearly his meetings with Dracula. None of them was anything he wanted to repeat soon.

The room fell quiet when Tsunade raised her hand.

"Are you implying that Dracula, a ninja of legend, was the one who killed Danzou and all of the Root members? Why would Dracula set his eyes on the Leaf and decide to kill Danzou? A bit farfetched, don't you think?"

Itachi bowed his head in acknowledgement. "Indeed. I don't know why Dracula would set his eyes on the Village Hidden in the Leaves, but I know that when the Vampire clan claimed new land, they killed the leader or the strongest opponent in the area they wished to claim. I sent a messenger to notify the Elders of the mark in the sky. I was sure they would recognize it and knew what it means. But either the messenger was ignored or the Elders don't know about the mark's meaning. The fact remains that I have seen no precautions taken which is foolish if Dracula plans to seize the Hidden Leaf Village and claim it as his own. But of course, it could be that another Vampire is on the move. In either case, it would be wise to take precautions."

Tsunade spoke up before Koharu could speak up again. "Hereby noted. Itachi Uchiha, do you have more to say in your defence?"

Itachi shook his head.

Tsunade nodded her consent. "In that case, we will now decide on your sentence. We meet here again in one hour."

With that the Council stood and left, with two clearly frustrated Elders. The voting time would be the perfect time for the people attending the trial to stretch their legs and get some air. But the shouting contest going on in the room where the judges had moved to was quite entertaining, even if they couldn't hear what they said. That continued for almost five minutes before they apparently calmed down to talk in normal level. And when that happened, most people decided to get some air.

And they returned when it was time to hear the punishment they would pass. Naruto noticed the glances the Elders shot Tsunade which she pointy ignored. When she and the others took a seat, an eerie silence filled the room.

"The votes go as this: 4 votes for immediate execution, 4 votes for lifelong imprisonment and two votes for alternate sentences. If there among the people gathered here are any suggestions, speak now or the Council will have another vote and include the 11 random shinobi."

Itachi waited for almost a minute, accepting his faith that most likely would be another vote that would end in his execution.

"I have a suggestion, Hokage-sama."

Itachi shifted his attention to the one who had spoken up in the audience than what he would deem healthy. And he had to stop a small smile of amusement to form.

But his amusement wasn't shared by Koharu.

"Name, age, rank and registration?"

The person rose as he answered "Shikamaru Naru, age 18, jounin, Sninobi Registration number 012611, ma'am."

Tsunade nodded her approval, her eyes twinkling slightly at Shikaku's gobsmacked expression. It seemed he hadn't expected his son to speak up. Or perhaps he was just surprised to hear Shikamaru being polite.

"Let's hear your suggestion, Shikamaru."

Shikamaru took a deep breath, met his father's eyes before mouthing 'Sorry old man' before returning his gaze to Tsunade.

"I'm not sure what or how much you have told them about what I said before Christmas, Tsunade-sama, so I will say it as it is: Itachi Uchiha worked against the Akatsuki and was working together with the now deceased Kakashi Hatake for a few years. Together they did their best to keep the Leaf Village as safe as possible. I admit that it sounds preposterous, but I believe it to be true. Why? Days before his death, Kakashi Hatake confirmed this on a rescue mission. And…"

Homura cut him off. "How interesting this might be, it doesn't erase what Itachi Uchiha did while in Akatsuki. So I'm curious as to what you will suggest, young Nara."

Shikamaru bit back his retort, but continued in the same calm voice. "My apologies sir. As an insider, Itachi-san has a lot of information on the members of Akatsuki. Or at least some. It wouldn't be wise to let such a source of information. Especially considering that one of the members of Akatsuki is Shaka Nara. A man believed to be dead, killed when Itachi-san supposedly killed the ANBU squad called the 'Death Dealers'. In reality, it was the other way around. Shaka killed the ANBU and framed Itachi-san for it. The only one who believed in his heart Itachi-san was innocent back then was Kakashi Hatake. If a person like Kakashi Hatake trusted a guy like Itachi-san, shouldn't we who owe Kakashi our lives try to repay the debt? And I know that more than one in this room and in the Council owe Kakashi."

He took a deep breath more."My suggestion is this: Let Itachi-san live for now. Aside of the valuable information, we need all the manpower we can get in this war. If he survive the war, you can execute him if that is the will of the Council. But considering we are in war with Cloud, Rock and some of the minor Villages, his chances for survival is around 50%. And since both he and our Jinchuuriki are being targeted I estimate his chances for living to see this war through is 1% or below. So I say he should be allowed to fight for our cause in order to prove his remorse and make amends."

Koharu glanced at her friend through seven decades and they appeared to be conversing silently with their eyes while the rest of the room held their breath. Homura spoke up.

"And if we agree? Are you then willing to take full responsibility for any action Itachi Uchiha will make?"

Before Shikamaru could respond, Obito spoke up. "Not to be rude Elder Homura, but Itachi is part of the Uchiha clan and is as such my responsibility if we agree on Shikamaru-kun's suggestion. As a matter of fact, his suggestion is very similar to what I gave. And I voted alternate sentence."

Seeing the frown on Homura's face and the steely edge in Obito's eye, Tsunade decided to step in before a full out argument between the Elder and the clan head, and a quite loud like the last one at that, could ensue again.

"Your suggestion and reasons for keeping Itachi Uchiha alive for now brings great honour to the Nara clan, Shikamaru Nara. But I can't help but feel you have ulterior motives."

Deciding to spill the beans, since he had been found out, Shikamaru spoke again. "You're quite right, Hokage-sama. Another reason I hope to keep Itachi-san alive for now is because he is a vital member of the team I have come up with to hunt down and eliminate Shaka Nara. Itachi has a lot of information on him, having worked together and fought him in the past. Information my clan can't provide as Shaka seems to have destroyed his personal files. Hokage-sama: If the mission to eliminate Shaka Nara, a member of Akatsuki, is to turn out as a success, Itachi Uchiha has to be part of the team."

A long silence followed Shikamaru's little speech. Tsunade sighed before asking what she needed.

"All of the Council that are against Shikamaru's suggestion, raise your hand now."

Hiashi, Tsume, Koharu and Homura raised their hands. Tsunade nodded. "All of the Council that are in favour of Shikamaru's suggestion, raise your hand now."

Tsunade, Obito, Shibi, Shikaku, Chouza and Inoichi raised their hands. Tsunade nodded, suppressing a smile.

"With the votes six against four, Shikamaru Nara's suggestion has hereby been decided upon. Obito Uchiha and Shikamaru Nara will be responsible for every action of Itachi Uchiha makes. ANBU: Release Itachi Uchiha and escort him back to the Hatake Mansion. Shikamaru and Naruto Uzumaki: I want to have a talk with you after this. Court adjourned."

00000

Ten minutes later, when all of the attending people and the Council had left the room and the ANBU escorted Itachi away, only Tsunade, Shikamaru and Naruto remained in the court room. The two latter was standing attention in front of the Fifth Hokage who was still sitting behind the desk. Glancing from one jounin to another, Tsunade placed her elbows on the desk and stippled her fingers together.

"Now, let me hear who you have picked for a mission like this, Shikamaru."

Shikamaru nodded. "Ino, Chouji and myself are no brainer. I have worked with them for the past six years, so we know each other well. I need Kiba with Akamaru and Hinata for tracking. The two of them have together since they were genin and I have been missions with them as well. We work well together. Kurenai-sensei have already agreed to come along with us for personal reasons. And Itachi knows how Shaka's mind work and is an excellent fighter. I estimate our chances of success on this mission depends 75% percent on Itachi and his abilities."

Tsunade furrowed her brow. "And if Itachi turns on you or runs away, then what?"

Shikamaru gave a shrug. "Then the mission will be a failure and I will take responsibility for Itachi. But I doubt it; like a lot of others, Itachi owes Kakashi."

Tsunade sighed before nodding. "In that's the case, I will allow the mission and any member of the team you see fit. You and your team will leave at first light tomorrow. Dismissed."

Shikamaru bowed before leaving the room. Naruto shot him an envious look before returning his gaze at Tsunade.

"Do you have a mission for me too Granny?"

Tsunade smiled a meek smile. "Yes and no. Naruto, I know you have wanted to talk about what I told you last night, but I'm afraid it will have to wait. Naruto: I need you to return to Mount Myobokuzan and complete your training. It's only a matter of time before Akatsuki strikes again and with the Village at war with each other, it won't be hard for them to find an opening and disappear again. You leave at first sunlight. Dismissed."

Naruto nodded and turned around. When he reached the door, Tsunade spoke up. "And Naruto… be careful. Keep an eye out for any sign of Akatsuki. You never know when those bastards will strike."

Naruto turned around and gave her an eye-smile and Tsunade couldn't help but gasp. It was so close to that of Kakashi's that he should sue Naruto for violations of copyrights.

Naruto cast one last glance at Tsunade over his shoulder before closing the door. It was quick enough to see a lone tear make its way down her cheek.

'Don't worry Granny. I will be careful. As for Akatsuki… when they come for me, I will be ready for them.'

00000

The sun had set one hour ago and Shaka watched in slight fascination as Spirit drew several symbols on the ground with the blood from the chuunin they had killed minutes earlier. It had been quite a surprise to run into Grass ninja one mile from the Hidden Leaf Village. The symbol Spirit was drawing was a hexagonal star with a circle surrounding it by the tips. The circle's diameter was around 2 metres. Spirit glanced at it, gave a slight nod before pulling his legs up and crossing them beneath him and hovered into the middle of the star. Once there he turned around so he faced the direction of the Leaf. Once in position, hovering one foot above the ground and facing the Leaf, he brought his hands into the seal of the tiger. The reaction came instantly as the star and circle flared with green flames that stood two feet above the ground. And almost just as soon as they rose, they disappeared again, leaving the symbol on the ground glowing with an eerie green.

Shaka tilted his head to the side. "If you don't mind me asking, but I'm curious as to what that symbol does. And where is our Uchiha friend?"

Spirit chuckled. "This symbol amplifies my powers and makes sure I won't be discovered, despite sensors and the wards the village has set up against intruders. As for Vader… he is already inside the village. He said he had some personal business to attend to. Now, please be quiet so I can concentrate."

Shaka chuckled inwardly before turning his gaze towards the Leaf. Their plan was in motion.

End chapter 22


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Let the Hunt Begin.

Dracula stared at Hades, arms crossed and head tilted. "You have lost a lot of power, Hades. What happened?"

Hades gave a weak smile. "In order to the Rinnegan to be revived, a lot of power had to be sacrificed. I no longer hold the ability to take control of an opponent's ninjutsu. Nor can I use all of the elements, not even to shield myself… I have limited myself to the Death Element with the flames of the Underworld and a few elemental summoning my disposal. I do, however, still possess the ability to see past, present and future, body heat and blood vessels with my Jigokugan. And I can still share the future with my victims. But I think lost my immunity against genjutsu… not that it really matters though."

Dracula nodded. "I see. But then let me ask you a question… why did you revive the Rinnegan in the first place?"

Hades sighed as he glanced up at the moon. "The Rinnegan is more than just a Bloodline Limit, Dracula-sensei. I believe you already know this, but it only surfaces in one individual when the world is in dire need of it. With the Rinnegan in Akatsuki's hands, they had too much power. It's now at out side, strengthening our defence power should push come to shove. Besides… with the Rinnegan on our side, we might not need to change the world by destroying the moon. It's too precious to humankind and… it has a calming effect."

Dracula glanced at the moon and back at Hades. "You are so much like my nephew Lycan, Hades. He too was calmed by the moon, even as a baby."

Hades gave a small shrug as he stood, his body protesting quite a bit. 'Damnit. Must have used around 80 percent of my chakra on this last stunt. Still, without all that extra power, I can turn the Jigokugan on and off as I see fit.'

"Any news from your spies in the Leaf?"

Dracula laughed. "Yes. Your little stunt there caused quite uproar. It was only due to hardcore proof that Itachi Uchiha didn't get the blame for that one. But he got off quite easily. As for how the war among the nations is going… hard to tell. None of them seems willing to send out troops to apprehend you after the last encounters… I suppose they save those troops for the fight against each other. As we speak, Stone is advancing towards the Leaf from the vest, only fighting Sand's scorpion cavalry. Mist and Cloud are battling on the sea with Cloud bombarding Leaf every now and then. And…"

Dracula fell silent as he felt a tingle spreading through his body. And then… nothing. He frowned. 'What was that?'

Closing his eyes, he focused his Death Chakra inwards, tracking where the pull had come from. He traced it back to the Leaf. 'The Leaf? What in that town can trick that tingle. The Kyuubi, yes... But that can't be… unless… NO!'

Turning to the east, Dracula grit his teeth. "Hades, rest up in the Rain Village. I need to check up on something."

Before Hades could even begin to protest, Dracula took flight, quickly accelerating to near top-speed. But even so, he would take a couple of hours to reach the Leaf. Hades gave mental shrug before taking off towards the Rain Village, although going considerable slower than he would have liked.

'Perhaps resting a couple of days won't be that bad.'

As he sped through the air, Dracula wanted to be wrong. If he wasn't… things had become, much more dangerous. And for perhaps the first time in centuries, if not millenniums, he felt a twinge of fear.

'The Trace on the Kyuubi has been broken. The Trace I placed on every single Bijuu in exchange for them to have a wish, demand or condition of their own choosing before they would allow themselves to be sealed into a human vessel. For the Trace to break…'

00000

Sasuke sat in his bed with a kunai in each hand, staring at the man in front of him. The intruder was wearing an Akatsuki cloak and his face was hidden behind an orange swirl mask, a Sharingan spinning in the single hole in the mask.

"Who are you? And more importantly: What do you want?"

Vader let out a small chuckle, eyeing the younger Uchiha. "My name is not important. As for why I'm here… I came to talk, that's all."

Sasuke activated his Sharingan as flames sprang to live around the kunai in his left hand while the one in his right cackled with electricity. "And why would I want to talk with an Akatsuki? Aside from asking them about their last words?"

At this Vader smirked. "Because I can answer what you have wondered for almost ten years: I can answer why your brother killed the Uchiha clan and spared you. A truth no one in this village is going to tell you any time soon."

Sasuke stared at Vader for a moment. Then he smiled. "I already know that. Madara Uchiha gave him an ultimatum. Now… die!"

Vader just followed Sasuke with his Sharingan as he jumped into the air. Sasuke began descending but suddenly two chairs flew at him, both hitting his wrists, effectively disarming him. In the next moment, Vader raised his right arm and made a pushing motion with his hand, palm open, and the next thing Sasuke knew was his back making contact with the stone wall.

Vader snarled and Sasuke fell to the floor the moment the elder Uchiha lowered his hand. "You are a fool, Sasuke Uchiha. That is not the full truth… but no matter. Your arrogance and faith in the wrong people shall cost you everything. And I will start with your girlfriend."

Sasuke growled as he stood. "If you as much as look at her…"

"You will what? Blast me to hell with your Kirin or pierce my heart with Chidori? I'm afraid you will find that such a thing is beyond what you can do... Sasuke-kun. I have powers you can only dream of."

Sasuke smirked as he weaved seals. "Doubt it. Even if Chidori or Kirin should fail, this won't. Now! Fire and Lightning Element Combination: Judgement Flash!"

Vader felt his Sharingan eye widen as Sasuke's stopped making seals, ending in the tiger seal. As Sasuke pointed the tiger seal at Vader, the elder Uchiha had made seals of his own, ending in the bird.

Blood red flames surged to life in front of Vader in the same moment a current of concentrated fire and electricity was fired from Sasuke's fingertips. Sasuke's attack hit the red blazes directly on the bird seal Vader formed.

The elder Uchiha swore loudly as he felt sweat beginning to form on his brow and his feet gliding backwards as the force of Sasuke's jutsu pushed him. Sasuke put more power into the attack and Vader had to increase

But he wasn't alone. Vader gave the younger Uchiha an appraising look, then the hole behind, and then back at Sasuke. Then he gave a small smirk.

"Not bad, Sasuke-kun. It has been some time since I have been forced to use the power of the Red Blazes of Seth to defend myself like that. What you saw was 'Red Blazes Element: Susanoo. Susanoo is a Mangekyou Sharingan jutsu that usually require both eyes. But me… I can use Susanoo by making seals. And what is better: I don't damage my eyesight by doing so."

Vader paused for a moment before locking eyes with Sasuke, Sharingan staring into Sharingan. "I know for a fact that you doubt the story about the ultimatum Itachi was given by Madara… you want the truth. Your brother or the Elders are not about to tell you the truth any time soon. Come with me… and I will give you power to discover the right truth, whether your brother and the Elders want it or not. Come with me… and you will obtain power enough to step out of the shadow of your brother. The choice is yours to take."

With that Vader vanished, leaving an exhausted and angry Sasuke behind. The young Uchiha growled low in his throat; the elder Uchiha was right. He did doubt the story Kakashi left him in that letter. And the Elders kept given him weird looks, full of distrust. Even Itachi, who Sasuke knew was one of the best in concealing his emotions and thoughts, looked at him with sadness and guilt. Something about the whole business just seemed wrong.

Sighing, Sasuke came to a conclusion: He was going to leave the village for some time, regardless if people were going to like it or not.

But as he packed after being checked up on by the other inhabitants of the Hatake Estate and reassuring them he just had lost control after a nightmare, he kept wondering two things: Why didn't Naruto check up on him? And what was Katie going to say?

00000

Dracula swore while increasing his speed again, breaking the sound barrier for the third time within ten minutes. Even with his intellect and thousands of years of experience, he couldn't understand how the Trace had broken so abruptly. Or rather: The cause behind it. In the past, when he felt the Trace showing signs of weakening or, in worst case scenario, break before time, Dracula would track down the Jinchuuriki, kill him or her, and seal the Bijuu into a new host.

If it was time for the Trace to break, it meant the Jinchuuriki was about to die a natural death, like old age. In that case, he would just let things unfold.

'But it would also seem I have underestimated the abilities of Naruto Uzumaki. For him to slip past my spies in the Leaf. Speaking of which… ah, there she is.'

And indeed, the Leaf, now more or less fully rebuild despite the raids on her from Cloud, was in sight and he instantly set towards the Hokage Tower. Once within 100 metres, he vanished in a cloud of black smoke and instantly reappeared in the same fashion inside the tower, making him stand right in the middle of the office.

His eyes quickly swept over the people gathered there. Behind the desk was the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade Senju, with her attendance behind her. Scattered around the room was the same people he encountered two years ago. Or, almost all of them.

Shikamaru Nara, Ino Yamanaka, Chouji Akimichi, Hinata Hyuuga, Kiba Inuzuka and his hound, Kurenai Yuuhi and the Uchiha brothers weren't there. He knew of Itachi's defection from Akatsuki through his spies, but he didn't trust him or his little brother one bit.

Listening to the heartbeats and flows of blood, he found that most of them were confused, angry, horrified and disbelieving, but he also picked up something else.

Listening a bit more intently, he found a quick thumping beat mixed with the fast, yet cold, flow of blood that indicated fear, panic, sorrow and shame. And right beside it was the sound of a fast heartbeat and boiling of blood that could only mean the person was furious beyond belief and filled with blood thirst.

Glancing over his shoulders, Dracula quickly found the sources. The one feeling fear, panic, sorrow and shame was a young woman with her hair set in two buns. The one who seemed about ready to murder anyone saying the wrong thing was a young man with long hair and pale eyes, making him a member of the Hyuuga clan.

Ignoring those, Dracula set his gaze on the Fifth Hokage, who had her hands steepled in front of her, elbows resting on the desk. She was the one who had the best control of her emotions in that room. If it hadn't been for the heartbeat, Dracula wouldn't have been able to tell anything from her facial expression. But he could tell she was disbelieving and distraught.

Instantly filing that information away for further analysis later on, Dracula locked eyes with Tsunade and spoke in a low voice that carried hints of serious anger.

"Where is he, Honourable Lady Hokage? Where is the Jinchuuriki for the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox? Where is the son of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki? Where is Naruto Uzumaki?"

Tsunade was silent for a moment. Then she spoke, in an emotionless voice. "Gone."

Now, Dracula prided himself for having good control over his anger. But, he didn't have time for cheek. Right now, every second mattered.

"I know that. I wouldn't be here otherwise. Now, I ask one more time: Where is he? Did someone from Akatsuki take him?"

Tsunade lowered her gaze and head. "No."

Dracula frowned, several possibilities and thoughts running through his mind. "Then where is he?"

Before Tsunade could say anything else, a sob sounded from behind Dracula. "He… he fled the village."

Turning around, Dracula locked eyes with Tenten, red eyes piercing her brown ones, intending to read her mind. But much to his surprise, some powerful defences was in place, denying him access. His frown deepening, Dracula spoke in a cold commanding voice.

"Look at me, girl. Look at me." Tenten obeyed, although she clearly wanted to be any other place than there. "Why would he flee the village? What happened?"

Tenten broke down, and for almost ten minutes, her sobs could be heard while tears flowed in a constant river. But when she spoke up, Dracula was surprised yet again. For what she said was not one of the possibilities he had considered.

"He… he fled the village… fled the Leaf… because… because he… because he attempted… to… to… to rape me."

End chapter 23


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Relics and Shadows.

"He… he fled the village… fled the Leaf… because… because he… because he attempted… to… to… to rape me."

Dracula merely cocked an eyebrow, the only thing giving away his surprise. "I see. Attempted… that means he didn't complete the act. What made him stop?"

All of the younger generation leapt in front of Tenten, ready to defend her, while shouting obscenities at Dracula. He, however, ignored those and focused only on Tenten. At last, she spoke.

"I slapped him several times… and I asked why he was doing it. He didn't respond. I slapped him harder and began screaming for help. He didn't stop. After a while… I ceased struggling… I was no match for him… When he was about to rip off my clothes… I called him a monster… I said I never wanted to see him again… that he deserved to die… that he didn't belong here… that he never did. After that… his eyes got a wounded look to them and he ran."

Dracula sighed. 'So it is as I feared.' Locking eyes with Tenten, Dracula spoke in a calm manner. "Thank you."

Tenten blinked before slumping forward, clearly asleep. Neji caught her before she hit the floor, Byakugan blazing as he glared at Dracula. "What did you do?"

Meeting the gaze of the much younger ninja, Dracula answered. "I put her into a healing dreamless sleep. She has been through a traumatic experience. The sleep I put her in will calm her so she can speak with a professional as the sleep won't be nearly enough to help her. Now, leave. I need to speak with the Hokage. In private."

They all looked ready to protest, but Tsunade nodded. "Leave us. That is an order. Neji Hyuuga, take Tenten to her home. None of you will be assigned any missions for the next week."

Grudgingly, the Konoha shinobi left, leaving Tsunade and Dracula in the office. The Night Lord got straight to the point.

"When I started sealing the Bijuu away, I made a deal with them. The Trace ninjutsu, a tracking ninjutsu, I placed on every single Bijuu in exchange for them to have a wish, demand or condition of their own choosing before they would allow themselves to be sealed into a human vessel. For the Trace to break, the Jinchuuriki will have to feel that the village is no longer his or her home. This is what Naruto-kun feels… that he no longer has any in this town who care for him. Despite the early hardships of his early childhood, he still called this village his home."

Tsunade stared at Dracula for some time, trying her best to keep her voice steady and emotions under control. "But we are a lot of people who care for him! He must know this. What I don't understand is why he committed that horrible act."

Dracula closed his eyes for a brief moment, thinking. At last, he came to a conclusion.

"I have a hunch, but that is all. One of the Necromancers, Spirit, has played with Naruto-kun's mind.

"Spirit-sensei was known as 'Spirit the Mind Flayer' for a reason, Devalan. His attacks are attacks on the mind itself. But unlike the Yamanaka clan, he doesn't take control over your body, just your mind. He can read your mind, your deepest desires, your worst nightmares, fears, memories and turn them against you. He can mess up your mind so much that your chakra becomes unstable. And unlike the Yamanaka clan, his control can't be broken by sheer willpower or alter egos.

And unlike genjutsu, it can't be broken by forcing your chakra into the victim, hitting the target or Spirit. Nor can it be broken by redirecting your chakra. The only escape is Spirit himself releasing you. That or killing yourself. Although…"

Here Dracula gave a small smirk. "Spirit's jutsu seems to have backfired. When attacking one's mind, it becomes fragile. My guess is that Tenten-san's words cut through Naruto-kun's weakened mind like a hot knife through butter. From there… I guess he panicked."

Tsunade nodded, a deep frown on her face. "I can't say I understand it completely… but let's just assume you are right… why would this Spirit attack Naruto in that way? Why not attack him directly?"

Dracula rubbed his temples, hoping to stop a headache forming. "When Hades killed Danzou and the Root operatives, he put the Vampire crest in the sky. By doing so, he marked Konoha as his territory. If the Necromancers, or the Akatsuki, had set foot in the village, it would have been a declaration of war. But by luring Naruto-kun outside the city wall, he becomes free game. Did he bring any personal items with him or leave any clues to where he could be heading?"

Tsunade shook her head, tears slowly starting to pool in her eyes. "No, he did not. He left all personal belongings behind. Even the necklace I gave him."

Dracula frowned a bit, but his eyes widened as he saw the necklace on Tsunade's desk. He mentally kicked himself for not recognizing it last time around. "It can't be… the Necklace of Sylanna."

Tsunade looked at him like he had lost it. "The Necklace of Sylanna? What on Earth are you talking about? This necklace was my grandfather's. It has been in my family for a very long time."

Dracula smiled, a plan already forming in his mind. "I don't doubt that, Honourable Lady Hokage. How and when the Necklace of Sylanna came to be in the possession of the Elves, the ancestors of the Senju, I do not know. But there is no mistaken it. This is a relic of the Ancient Times, long before I was even born. It is one out of ten artifacts, all with their unique powers. The Necklace of Sylanna, " he held it up to his eyes, "is said to keep demons at bay, grant long life and guidance to mind and body. However, it has a dark side. It has a will of its own. It will only accept and help those it finds worthy. It will kill anybody it deems unworthy. Now… let me test something."

Before Tsunade could even utter a work, Dracula bit into his own artery, but kept the pressure on the wound so the blood would fly everywhere. Almost one minute later, he removed his teeth from the wound and immediately put the necklace against the place where he had bit, almost instantly covering the stone in red. He closed his eyes as images started flowing through his mind. After five minutes, he opened his eyes.

"I suppose it is because he has held the necklace for so long… some of the Kyuubi's chakra has been absorbed into the necklace, clouding its memories of Naruto-kun. However, the last memory it has of him showed he was heading southwest."

Tsunade nodded. "Thank you. I don't understand how you did it, but I'm grateful nonetheless. I will dispatch a squad to bring him back immediately."

Dracula shook his head. "No. That would be really unwise to do. You don't know how the squad or Naruto-kun is going to react to each other if they meet up. Also, if I'm correct in my suspicions about this being a cunning trap set up by Spirit, you risk leading Akatsuki right to Naruto-kun. No, I think it will be better if my men handle this. I would like to do it myself, but I need to keep an eye on Hades and make sure he doesn't hear anything about this. Gods!"

Instantly the office was filled with gold smoke, five people kneeling in front of Dracula. Each of them wore black cloaks with hoods and sleeves that almost reached the ground if they stood, their faces hidden by black porcelains masks with yellow and golden lines defining the forms. Three of the masks resembled human faces while the other two resembled a falcon and a jackal. All of them spoke as one.

"What are your orders, Dracula-sama?"

Dracula's eyes briefly swept over the summoned ninjas before speaking. "Anubis, Horus and Isis: I need you to head southwest and locate the vessel of the Kyuubi. His name is Naruto Uzumaki. He is assumed to be wearing the traditional Leaf uniform. Easily recognizable by his blond hair and whiskers. But beware… it is possible Akatsuki are on his trail. If you encounter them, eliminate them. If you find Naruto-kun first, escort him to a safe place and wait for me. You can't let Hades know of this."

The three shinobi nodded and in the next moment they were gone in a cloud of gold smoke. A moment later, Tsunade saw a golden flash near the south-western gate. But before she could ask what sort of technique they used, Dracula addressed the remaining two.

"Athena and Apollo: Remove your masks. They will not be needed for the task I'm assigning you to. I want you to continue being my eyes and ears inside those city walls. But first, I need you to set out for the group of Konoha-nin hunting Shaka Nara. You will be their back-up, just in case the Necromancer Spirit turns out to be his partner."

Tsunade was astonished, but shock took over her face as the two other shinobi lowered their masks, revealing Obito Uchiha and Rin Arashi. "What is the meaning of this? How can…"

Dracula cut her off with a smooth voice. "I needed spies within the Leaf Village and Hades requested two of his former friends should have a second chance at life. Though I resurrected them, they are only as strong as they would be if they never had died. They are only taking orders from you because I ordered them to."

Tsunade was shocked beyond belief. It was shocking enough to find two of shinobi were spies for a ninja of legend, but it was even more shocking to find out that Kakashi was alive, though Dracula hadn't said it directly. And whether or not she liked what Dracula had just said, she knew she couldn't do anything about it. Letting out a sigh, she nodded her consent.

"Very well. Whatever it takes to keep Naruto safe, do it. Obito… Rin… I will alert you the moment we have news from Shikamaru."

The two shinobi nodded and left, but not before saying they were sorry for their deceit. Dracula turned his attention towards Tsunade again. "It would be easier for both of us if you kept quiet about this. If Akatsuki should get a whiff of this… it would be difficult to say the least. Just concentrate on the war for now and leave Naruto-kun to me."

Tsunade just nodded her consent and in the next moment Dracula vanished in a cloud of black smoke.

11111

A week passed by without any news, and Tsunade was growing restless. The war was taking its toll on the nations, but all of them were too stubborn to initiate a ceasefire and negotiations. The smaller countries and villages were trying to pressure them into a diplomatic solution, but to no avail. Just when there seemed to be a chance for a ceasefire, an incident would occur that would make the anger in all of the villages flare up again and so the fighting continued.

Tsunade was sort of happy that she hadn't received any news concerning Naruto. After all, no news was good news. But it unsettled her that there had been no sightings of Akatsuki. Granted, with all the fighting, it was quite possible they were slipping in and out of their net unnoticed, mocking them from the shadows as they did so. But one cold night, Shizune burst into the office, looking slightly winded.

"Tsunade-sama! We have received a message from Shikamaru!"

Tsunade straightened, anxious to hear what the jounin had to report. Ignoring the rain on the windows, Tsunade steeled herself for bad news. "Speak."

Shizune nodded and took out an envelope and began reading aloud.

"_Hokage-sama,_

_Yesterday__, we found the corpse of an Akatsuki member. It was one whom attacked our village. It was the big devil look alike, Devalan. Itachi Uchiha confirmed that Devalan was killed by Kisame Hoshigaki, the Monster of the Hidden Mist. From the looks of it, the two Akatsuki members had a fight that escalated, ending in Devalan's death. It's assumed that Kisame took Devalan's weapon, a scythe. Either that, or it was destroyed during the battle._

_We have located the Akatsuki member Shaka Nara and his partner, approximately seven miles from the borders between the countries of Fir, Rain and River. We will take out Shaka at first opportunity, in accordance to the law of the keeping the village's secrets safe, and if possible, take his partner into custody for questioning. _

_Signed, _

_Shikamaru Nara, jounin of Konoha. _

_Date: January 15__th__._"

Tsunade sighed. "That was two days ago." Steeling her resolve, she spoke the words she had dreaded she would have to say. "Bring me Obito Uchiha and Rin Arashi. I have a mission for them."

Shizune nodded and ran out the door. Tsunade turned in chair, staring into the rainy night, the worry gnawing at her insides. 'Hang in there Shikamaru… help is on the way. Hang in there.'

She only hoped they hadn't received the message too late.

End chapter 24


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